The Trump administration is set to challenge the United Nations (UN) to overhaul the global asylum rules, describing the current system as "haphazard and chaotic" and prone to exploitation by unscrupulous individuals, according to the Daily Caller News Foundation.
The U.S. government is orchestrating an event during the UN's annual General Assembly later this month, aimed at highlighting proposed reforms to curb the misuse of asylum provisions. These abuses have reportedly "disrupted entire regions, enriched criminal cartels and violated the sovereignty of nations," a State Department spokesperson informed the Daily Caller News Foundation.
The proposed amendments include a requirement for migrants to seek refuge in the first country they enter, thereby eliminating the practice of "asylum shopping."
"The United States plans to begin a conversation on reforming an outdated, decades-old system that has long been abused by bad actors and economic migrants to fuel the global migration crisis," the spokesperson stated.
Most nations, including the U.S., are signatories to UN treaties that provide a framework for individuals fleeing persecution to seek asylum at the borders of other countries. However, the Trump administration intends to advocate for "commonsense and necessary reforms."
These reforms underscore the right of each nation to control its borders, the temporary nature of asylum, the sovereign right of states to determine when return is possible, and the obligation of every country to accept the return of its citizens.
European countries that have welcomed millions of refugees, many from Muslim-majority nations, are grappling with social unrest and violence associated with migrants. Germany alone, with a population of 83 million, had 3 million refugees as of mid-2024, as reported by the UN.
This initiative aligns with President Donald Trump's broader strategy to tighten asylum standards and "realign" U.S. policy. "Cities and small towns alike, from Charleroi, Pennsylvania, and Springfield, Ohio, to Whitewater, Wisconsin, have seen significant influxes of migrants," Trump noted in his January 20 executive order temporarily suspending the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program, which is currently under legal scrutiny.
"The United States lacks the ability to absorb large numbers of migrants, and in particular, refugees, into its communities in a manner that does not compromise the availability of resources for Americans, that protects their safety and security, and that ensures the appropriate assimilation of refugees," the order further elaborated.
The Trump administration is also anticipated to announce its refugee admission ceiling for the fiscal year 2026 this month. In contrast, more than 100,000 refugees were admitted into the country under former President Joe Biden in fiscal year 2024 the highest figure since 1994 according to the Migration Policy Institute.
In a related development, Trump has drawn attention to the violence and discrimination faced by Afrikaners, a minority group of predominantly Dutch descent in South Africa. The President signed an executive order in May promoting the resettlement of Afrikaners, and several groups have already arrived in the U.S.
This move underscores the administration's commitment to protecting vulnerable populations while maintaining a balanced approach to immigration and asylum policies.
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