U.S. announces new border restrictions for asylum seekers

World Today

U.S. announces new border restrictions for asylum seekers

The Biden administration has announced its most restrictive border control measures to date, as it tries to get out ahead of an expected surge in migration when a pandemic-era expulsion policy lifts in May.

Under the new rule, asylum seekers who attempt to enter the U.S. illegally – or without first seeking protection in the countries they transit – will be barred from entering the U.S.

Pro-migration groups say the rule is “ludicrous and life-threatening” – and defies decades of asylum policy enshrined in U.S law.