Biden tightens his measures towards asylum seekers on the border with Mexico – NRK Urix – Foreign news and documentaries

Migrants who cross the U.S.-Mexico border illegally can now be denied asylum and quickly deported to Mexico. It can happen within a few hours.

Biden presented the measures himself on Tuesday evening, Norwegian time.

“I came here to do what Republicans in Congress have refused to do, which is take the necessary steps to secure our borders,” the president said in a brief statement during a White House press conference.

This measure would make it more difficult for so-called illegal immigrants to obtain residency in the United States. Of course, there must be exceptions for children crossing borders without adults, seriously ill people and victims of human trafficking.

The United Nations expresses its concern

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees strongly criticizes Biden.

These measures restrict the right to seek asylum in the United States, the UNHCR wrote in a statement:

– The new measures will deprive many of those in need of international protection of the opportunity to apply for asylum, and they may now be left without a real opportunity to seek safety.

Furthermore, the United States is encouraged to “fulfill its international obligations,” and the Biden administration is encouraged to “reconsider restrictions that undermine the fundamental right to seek asylum.”

– Race to the bottom

The right to seek asylum is part of the United Nations Refugee Convention and its Additional Protocol. The United States has signed the Additional Protocol.

Ten years ago, the United States was a leader in accepting refugees and asylum seekers, Jan Egeland, Secretary General of the Norwegian Refugee Council, wrote in an email to NRK.

– Now they have joined the United Kingdom and other European countries in a race to the bottom, far from the principles of international law, he continues.

The UK recently decided to send asylum seekers to Rwanda.

Egeland is worried. Thus, the United States will reject people in greatest need who come from conflict zones or are victims of violence. The Secretary-General says he visited Mexico several times and met people who fled north to the United States:

– The lives of many have been threatened, and their only hope is to find protection in the United States.

Stick to Trump

The emphasis is seen as an attempt by Biden to leave his mark in the presidential campaign. Immigration is a major issue for Donald Trump, who is likely to become Biden's opponent in the November election.

The current president used the opportunity to take a swipe at Trump and the Republicans. He pointed to what he described as a very cynical political move, when they rejected a negotiated agreement on support for Ukraine and increased border security.

He said: Let's fix the problem and stop arguing about it.

Rival candidate Donald Trump responds by rebuking Biden.

“Millions of people have flown into the country, and now, after nearly four years of pathetic leadership, the bastard Joe Biden is pretending to finally do something about the border,” Trump said in a video posted on his social media platform Truth. Social.

Trump believes these measures are just a show before the televised debate between the two later in June.

Migrants flow into the sky

The presidential order signed by Biden will take effect when the average recorded number of illegal border crossings per day exceeds 2,500 people.

It must be removed after fourteen days, if the average number in the last seven days falls below 1,500.

Currently, more than 2,500 illegal border crossings are recorded daily. Therefore, the order is expected to be implemented early Wednesday.

It is still possible to request an agreement to apply for asylum, CNN reported.

Republicans accused Biden of losing control of the country's southern border. Mexico is a transit country for many migrants fleeing violence, poverty and political chaos in many Latin American countries to the south.

Under the Biden administration, the number of migrants crossing the border has reached new levels. The peak came in December when nearly 10,000 people crossed the border illegally every day.

These measures require further cooperation with Mexico, which has already agreed to accept 30,000 migrants per month from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua and Venezuela. It is not clear whether the United States has negotiated a new agreement with Mexico CNN.

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