The United States will deny visas to people who fear returning to their countries: it seeks to avoid asylum requests

According to the newspaper The Washington Postthe government orders diplomatic missions to ask visa applicants and They fear returning to their countries of origin. If they answer “yes,” the visa should be denied, according to a diplomatic cable reviewed by the Post.

This directive comes after a federal appeals court ruled as illegal Trump’s argument an “invasion” on the border between the United States and Mexico to restrict the entry of asylum seekers. That ruling paved the way to reopen the country to migrants fleeing persecution in their home countries.

The Trump administration has indicated its intention to challenge the decision through appeal.

The diplomatic cable reviewed this Tuesday by the Post, detailed in a message from the office of Secretary of State Marco Rubio, indicates that, with immediate effectall consular officials “must require the applicant for a nonimmigrant visa to affirm that he or she does not fear suffer harm or mistreatment upon returning to their country of nationality or previous habitual residence, and document the response in the case notes”.

U.S. officials should ask applicants two questions: “You have suffered damage or abuse in your country of nationality or last habitual residence?” and “Fears harm or abuse upon return to your country of nationality or permanent residence?”

“Visa applicants They must respond verbally with ‘no’ to both questions for the consular official to continue issuing the visa,” the cable states.

The new rules are the most recent effort of the administration to sharply limit the number of foreign citizens granted asylum in the United States.

“They are trying to systematically demolish any means by which a persecuted person can seek protection and safety in the United States,” said Jeremy Konyndyk, president of Refugees International.

Under federal law, foreign citizens They can apply for asylum once they are in the country if they face “persecution or a well-founded fear of persecution” in their home.

Foreign citizens can be resettled as refugees in the United States under a separate process that takes place outside the country.