The following statement is attributable to Physicians for Human Rights (PHR) Asylum Network Program Officer Kathryn Hampton:
“The new measures adopted today by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and Department of Justice, under the orders of President Trump, barring those entering the United States between ports of entry from applying for asylum, are a direct violation of Article 31(1) of the United Nations Refugee Convention, to which the United States is bound. All asylum seekers crossing an international border are entitled to apply for asylum, regardless of how or where they cross. People who have already suffered so much should not be further penalized by this ruling, which is a breach of the United States’ legal obligations.
“The United States must not turn its back on long-standing humanitarian protections for people fleeing persecution and violence. We urge the Trump administration to uphold the right to seek asylum and to ensure the humane and rights-respecting processing of all asylum seekers entering the United States.”
Physicians for Human Rights (PHR) is a New York-based advocacy organization that uses science and medicine to prevent mass atrocities and severe human rights violations. Learn more here.