The new rules require asylum seekers to apply in advance, rather than after they arrive in the United States. Otherwise, they will be considered ineligible for asylum. The rules, published in the Federal Register for comment 30 days before their implementation, experts say, go back in part to the strict regime imposed by Joe Biden’s predecessor, Donald Trump, which was eventually struck down by the courts.
However, the Biden administration claims that, absent any congressional action, this is the only way to manage the southern border, which as many as 200,000 people attempt to cross each month, most seeking asylum. “This administration will not allow chaos and mass riots at the border due to inaction by Congress,” a US administration official told AFP on condition of anonymity.
The new rules require migrants who want to come to the United States to apply for asylum online, through the official US Customs and Border Protection app, and request a meeting with US officials, or first request asylum in the country in which they are located. , and after reaching the American border.
The White House has indicated that it will apply the system to migrants from Ukraine, Venezuela, Cuba, Nicaragua and Haiti after the repeal of a measure called “Section 42” that authorizes the immediate deportation of migrants without a visa, including potential asylum seekers. Its cancellation is scheduled for May 11. The new rules will be temporary and will expire in 24 months, officials said.
The proposed measures have been harshly criticized by defenders of the rights of migrants. They will close “the doors to the countless refugees seeking safety and security in the United States,” said Abby Maxman, president of Oxfam America. “This policy is illegal, immoral and will have devastating consequences for children, women and men seeking safety,” she added.
