US President Donald Trump directed officials to toughen rules for asylum seekers on Monday, including by introducing a fee for their applications and barring those who entered the country illegally from working until their claims are approved. He told reporters in Geneva he had no specific information about Trump's move, but said: "Seeking asylum is a fundamental human right. People should be allowed to exercise those rights when seeking to seek asylum." Many of the changes would be dramatic shifts in how asylum seekers are treated, but would also require time-intensive regulatory procedures before they go into effect, which will likely take months. Trump administration officials have repeatedly blamed US laws protecting asylum seekers for encouraging fraudulent or non-deserving claims.

Source: Dhaka Tribune April 30, 2019 15:56 UTC