Trump administration to push UN to restrict global asylum rights
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The Trump administration plans to push the United Nations to adopt stricter rules on asylum rights, requiring refugees to seek protection in the first country they enter and making asylum temporary.
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Protesters gather outside the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement building on Wednesday, Sept. 10, 2025, in Portland, Ore. (AP Photo/Jenny Kane)
The Trump administration is preparing to call for a significant narrowing of the right to asylum at the United Nations later this month, according to internal planning documents seen by Reuters. The move would mark a sharp shift in international refugee protections established in the aftermath of World War II.
The plan, set to be unveiled at a side event during the UN General Assembly, calls for reframing global immigration and asylum systems in line with the administration’s restrictive policies, Reuters said.
Under the proposal, asylum seekers would be required to seek protection in the first country they enter, rather than choosing their destination.
Host nations would also have the authority to determine whether conditions in the applicants’ home country justified a return, altering long-standing asylum norms.
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Proposed restrictions on global immigration protections
The proposed framework would make asylum temporary rather than permanent and reduce applicants’ ability to choose where to seek refuge. The approach reflects policies already implemented in the United States, where the Trump administration has restricted refugee admissions and placed strict limits on who qualifies for asylum.
Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau is expected to lead the UN event, according to planning notes. Andrew Veprek, nominated to head the US State Department’s refugee division, echoed the administration’s position in his Senate confirmation hearing, calling the current asylum framework outdated and prone to “abuse.”
Advocates warn the proposal could dismantle decades of international refugee protections. Mark Hetfield, president of HIAS, a refugee resettlement group, said weakening asylum rights would bring the world “back to the situation we were in during the Holocaust.”
Human rights groups argue that the system is designed to ensure that people fleeing persecution based on race, religion, nationality, social group, or political opinion have a path to safety. They warn that narrowing asylum rights would leave vulnerable populations at greater risk.
Shift in US approach to asylum and refugees
The Trump administration has already reshaped US refugee policy, prioritizing white South Africans for resettlement while reducing admissions from other regions.
Since early 2025, refugee arrivals in the United States have been capped at historically low levels, with internal documents suggesting an emphasis on European resettlement.
Spencer Chretien, a senior official at the State Department’s refugee bureau, told staff that building “a new framework” for asylum is a top priority set by the White House. This would replace the 1951 and 1967 global accords that underpin modern refugee law.
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What the United Nations response could mean
While the United States cannot unilaterally discard international refugee conventions, the Trump administration’s push could influence like-minded governments. However, there is little evidence so far of broad international support for rewriting global asylum rules.
Analysts note that the administration’s campaign reflects a wider effort to use international forums to legitimize its restrictive immigration policies, even if resistance from UN members slows any attempt to overhaul the system.
