US Plans UN Proposal to Limit Global Asylum Rights

The United States, under President Donald Trump's administration, is proposing a significant shift in global asylum policies at the upcoming United Nations General Assembly. The proposal urges that asylum seekers be required to apply for protection in the first country they enter rather than choosing their destination, with asylum granted on a temporary basis subject to return when conditions improve in their home country. This move aims to curb what the administration describes as abuses of the asylum system facilitating economic migration and to reduce the burden on first-receiving countries. The initiative reflects Trump's restrictive immigration policies and seeks to globalize this approach by reforming post-World War II humanitarian frameworks. Critics, including refugee advocacy groups like HIAS, warn that such changes could undermine protections for those fleeing persecution and liken it to regressing to pre-Holocaust-era conditions. The U.S. proposal is expected to spark debate on balancing asylum seekers' rights with controlling immigration and border security.