US govt floats proposal to deter migrants from filing asylum applications

WASHINGTON: The issuance of work permits to asylum seekers could be suspended for ‘many years’ under a new regulation proposed by the US President Donald Trump administration on Friday, which would be one of the biggest overhauls in the employment authorization of asylum seekers in several decades.

The new regulation, proposed by the Department of Homeland Security, aims to discourage migrants from seeking asylum in the US in order to obtain legal work authorization and reduce the processing backlog to enhance security checks.

The new proposal, which is expected to face legal challenges 7, is part of the overall Trump administration agenda to cut down both legal and illegal immigration. Trump, a Republican, was re-elected last year after a campaign in which immigrants and asylum seekers were largely depicted as criminals and economic burdens on US society, contrary to evidence.

The new DHS proposal would suspend the issuance of work permits to all new asylum applicants until the average processing time for certain asylum applications is 180 days or less.

Based on current wait times, DHS estimated it could take anywhere from 14 years to 173 years to reach the level to resume issuing work permits, although it noted that other considerations may bring the timeline forward.

The Trump administration also proposed establishing more stringent eligibility requirements for work permits on asylum grounds, claiming that a work permit “is not an entitlement” and is instead within the discretion of the DHS secretary.

Perhaps most significantly, the rule would generally prohibit migrants who have entered the US illegally from obtaining new work permits or renewing existing ones. The prohibition would have limited exemptions for individuals who had notified US border control within 48 hours of entering the country that they had a fear of persecution or torture or another urgent reason for entering the country illegally.

“This rule, if finalised, would reduce the incentive to file frivolous, fraudulent, or otherwise meritless asylum claims,” DHS said in a statement. The rulemaking process can take months or even years. DHS will accept public comments on the proposal for 60 days after it is formally published in the Federal Register on Monday.

Immigrant advocates and some Democrats have criticized Trump’s hard-line approach to asylum seekers, saying it undermines existing U.S. and international law