US visa applicants will in the future have to certify that they do not fear persecution in their home countries. The new rule, outlined in a diplomatic cable sent to all embassies and consulates this week, is part of a series of sweeping changes by the Trump administration to further restrict the entry of would-be asylum seekers into the country.
The State Department directive directs consular officers to ask nonimmigrant visa applicants two key questions: whether they have experienced harm or abuse in their country of citizenship, and whether they fear harm or abuse upon returning home. According to the dispatch, applicants must verbally answer “no” to both questions in order for the consular officer to proceed with the visa process. The measure applies to nonimmigrant visa applicants, which includes tourists, students and temporary workers.
The State Department justifies the new directive with the need to prevent abuse of the immigration system. “Consular officers are the first line of defense for US national security,” a department spokesman said, adding that “all available tools and resources” are being used to determine whether each applicant meets the requirements under US law. The dispatch specifically emphasizes the intent to prevent those who misrepresent the purpose of their travel in order to apply for asylum upon arrival in the US.
Experts warn that the new directive will have serious consequences for people fleeing from danger. Immigration policy adviser Camille Mackler told CNN that the measure “will put people in really difficult, awful situations where they have to make decisions that ultimately affect the safety of themselves and their families.” She added that the new rules are “pushing people into unsafe paths and routes because if you have to go, you’re going to go and do whatever it takes to succeed.”
In order to claim asylum, a person must be physically present in the US and flee political, racial or religious persecution in their home country. Meanwhile, the administration has already stepped up checks for student visa applicants, temporarily suspended the decision on immigration applications, and in January, the processing of immigrant visas for as many as 75 countries was suspended.
