A Executive order signed today by the US head of state will allow US authorities to deport those who do not comply with strict asylum standards when the number of 2,500 daily arrests at the border is exceeded over an average of seven days.

The order will come into force today, because that number of 2,500 arrests is already being exceeded, with an average of 4,200 daily arrests occurring in April, the latest official number available.

“The border is not a political issue that can be turned into a weapon,” assured Biden, adding that he would have preferred deeper and more lasting action through legislation, but that “Republicans gave us no other choice.”

Biden highlighted that the measure taken bypasses the Republican Party’s obstruction to “do what is possible alone”, insisting that he has always seen immigration as the “lifeblood of America”.

“This action will help gain control of our border and restore order in the process,” said Joe Biden

Former President Donald Trump today accused Biden, on social media, of “completely handing over the southern border”, considering the executive order ‘exhibition’ before the presidential debate on June 27.

Republicans in Congress also criticized Biden’s order as a “political stunt” aimed at demonstrating stricter immigration enforcement ahead of the election.

With this decision, protocols for requesting asylum will be relaxed again when this number drops to 1,500, on average, in 14 days, which may be difficult to achieve, as the last time this happened was in July 2020, in full covid-19 pandemic.

Starting today, those who arrive at the border when the 2,500 threshold is exceeded will be subject to “a significantly higher standard” to qualify for asylum.

In this case, migrants must demonstrate that there is a “reasonable possibility” that they would be at risk of torture or persecution if returned to their country of origin.

In any case, officials argued that the United States will adhere to obligations under the United Nations convention against torture, which prohibits deporting someone to a country where they could be tortured.

However, doubts still remain about how Biden’s new directive could be implemented.

For example, the US Government entered into an agreement with Mexico in which this neighboring country agrees to accept up to 30,000 citizens per month from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua and Venezuela once they are denied entry from the US, but does not know whether this procedure will continue in force.

It was also unclear what would happen to citizens of other countries whose entry would be denied by Biden’s directive.

The directive that comes into force today differs from the directives that former Republican President Donald Trump had put into practice – although it was based on the same provisions of the Immigration Law – including the 2017 directive that blocked the entry of citizens from countries of Muslim majority.

Biden’s directive outlines several groups of migrants who will be allowed entry for humanitarian reasons, including victims of human trafficking, unaccompanied minors and those with serious medical emergencies.

This new directive also exempts migrants who arrive in an orderly manner, which includes people who arrange meetings with border officials at ports of entry using legal border protection mechanisms.

Read Also: UN reiterates that asylum is a “fundamental human right” after Biden’s order

Source: https://www.noticiasaominuto.com/mundo/2574547/biden-restringiu-pedidos-de-asilo-para-obter-controlo-na-fronteira

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