FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 9, 2024
PRESS CONTACT
Spencer Tilger | media@refugeerights.org
“DANGEROUS PRECEDENT:” IRAP REACTS TO NEW ASYLUM RESTRICTIONS PROPOSED BY BIDEN ADMINISTRATION
(New York, NY) – Today, the Biden administration proposed a new rule that would further restrict access to the asylum system.
The following is a statement from Sunil Varghese, Policy Director for the International Refugee Assistance Project (IRAP):
“IRAP opposes this administration’s continued attempts to deny vulnerable people seeking protection their lawful chance to present their asylum claims. Asylum screening interviews have no right to counsel and limited ability to present evidence. In contrast, evaluating mandatory bars requires detailed evidence and complex analysis. We have seen too often how discretion and expediency in the name of security have served as a pretext for discrimination and xenophobia. The impact of this proposed rule would be to send refugees back to persecution and danger, rather than reforming and modernizing the sorely outdated U.S. immigration system. This sets a dangerous precedent.”
The International Refugee Assistance Project (IRAP) is a global legal aid and advocacy organization working to create a world where refugees and all people seeking safety are empowered to claim their right to freedom of movement and a path to lasting refuge. Everyone should have a safe place to live and a safe way to get there.
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