In what’s seen as an attempt to throttle the stream of migrants who proceed to the US border, the government of El Salvador has started hitting passengers arriving from Africa and India with a steep $1,000 tax.

If that is indeed the motive, El Salvador’s government is hiding it. Rather than referencing migration to the United States, the official announcement of the new policy implied it was necessary for ongoing “modernization and expansion projects at the El Salvador International Airport,” and cited “an increase in the number of passengers entering, leaving and connecting at the airport, compared to previous years.”

The $1,000 tax has been named the “Airport Improvement Fee.” After factoring in El Salvador’s 13% value added tax, the total cost rises to $1,130. Collection began on Oct. 23.