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U.S. Presses Global Asylum Limits at UN, Plans Talks With Willing Nations

The pitch centers on temporary protection, first-country claims and national control of determinations.

Overview

  • Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau told a U.S.-hosted UNGA side event the system is a “huge loophole,” urging first-country claims and temporary status with returns set by host states.
  • State Department refugee official Spencer Chretien said the United States will convene interested governments in the coming months to develop and formalize new global principles.
  • Representatives from Kosovo, Bangladesh, Liberia and Panama signaled openness to reform but stopped short of endorsing the U.S. proposals.
  • UNHCR chief Filippo Grandi defended existing treaty-based protections, while Human Rights Watch and Refugees International warned the U.S. push could undermine core safeguards.
  • The international campaign aligns with the administration’s domestic restrictions on asylum and refugee resettlement, parts of which have faced court setbacks.