"The Trump administration is seeking sweeping changes to the rights of asylum seekers that experts say would "decimate" the global refugee system established after World War II, a new report finds. Reuters, citing internal documents from the State Department and an agency spokesperson, finds the administration is proposing a framework in which asylum seekers would be forced to apply for protection in the first country they enter, not a country of their choosing."
"Officials have said that they sought to undo international asylum rights established after World War II. During and after the Holocaust, the U.S. denied refugees entry to the U.S., including Jewish people and other populations who had survived the Nazi Holocaust. "Perhaps the most important root cause of the mass and illegal migration today is the abuse of refugee and asylum systems," said Andrew Veprek, President Donald Trump's pick to run the State Department refugee division, during a confirmation hearing on Thursday, per Reuters."
The administration is pursuing major changes to asylum rules that would require asylum seekers to apply for protection in the first country they enter instead of choosing a destination. Under the proposal, asylum status would be temporary and the first country would determine when return is safe. State Department internal documents and an agency spokesperson informed Reuters of the framework and plans for an event alongside the UN General Assembly. Officials have indicated intent to undo international asylum rights established after World War II. Supporters point to alleged abuses of refugee and asylum systems as drivers of irregular migration; critics warn the changes would undermine the global refugee system.
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