The UN rights chief warned Wednesday that new US border enforcement plans risk undermining the fundamental foundations of international human rights and refugee law.
“The right to seek asylum is a basic human right, regardless of a person’s origin, immigration status, or how they arrived at an international border,” said UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk.
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Last week, US President Joe Biden announced a new plan to expand the controversial rule called Title 42, in order to immediately remove more people who show up at the border without clearance.
The plan allows for about 30,000 Venezuelans, Haitians, Cubans and Nicaraguans to be deported to Mexico each month.
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“These measures seem to be at odds with the ban on collective expulsions and the principle of non-refoulement,” Turk said.
The international principle of non-refoulement ensures that no person should be returned to a country where they will face torture, cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.
The UN rights office points out that before the expansion, “Title 42 has been used by US immigration officials about 2.5 million times at the southern border to deport people to Mexico or their countries of origin without an individual assessment of all the accompanying protection needs. with due process and procedural safeguards.”
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The White House said it hoped the tougher measures would stem record numbers of migrants and asylum seekers arriving after epic, often dangerous journeys orchestrated by people smugglers.
In an attempt to appease critics on the left, Biden said up to 30,000 qualified migrants would be allowed into the United States each month from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua and Venezuela.
They must apply in their home country, have a US sponsor and have a background check.
The UN rights chief said he welcomed “measures to establish and expand safe and regular routes.”
However, he added, “the initiative must not be at the expense of human rights, including the right to seek asylum and the right to the assessment of individual protection needs.
Turk also expressed concern that those most in need of asylum and those in vulnerable situations cannot meet the restrictive requirements for humanitarian parole, including having financial sponsors in the United States.
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He reiterated that the rights of refugees and migrants should be respected and protected at international borders.
“We hear a lot of talk about the migration crisis, but the reality is that the people who migrate are often the crisis,” Turk said.
“Instead of abusing and removing recognized rights, we must seek to manage migration humanely and safely by respecting the human rights of each individual.”
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