Trump Administration Eyes UN Overhaul to Curb Global Asylum Protections

Trump speaks during a Get Out The Vote campaign rally at Coastal Carolina University on Feb. 10, 2024, in Conway, South Carolina. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)

Washington, Sept. 12, 2025 – The Trump administration is gearing up for a bold diplomatic offensive at the United Nations General Assembly later this month, aiming to dismantle decades-old international safeguards for asylum seekers and impose stricter global limits on who qualifies for protection.

According to internal State Department documents reviewed by Reuters and confirmed by a department spokesperson, officials plan to host a side event during the UN's annual gathering to advocate for a radical reframing of asylum and immigration policies. The proposal would mandate that asylum seekers apply for protection in the first safe country they reach, rather than choosing a preferred destination like the United States. Asylum status would also become temporary, with host nations given unilateral authority to deport individuals once they deem conditions in the home country "improved."

This push builds on the administration's domestic immigration crackdown, which has included prioritizing entries for white South Africans and expanding detention for undocumented migrants. Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau is slated to spearhead the UN event, while Trump's nominee for the State Department's refugee bureau, Andrew Veprek, recently urged a "fundamental reshaping" of global asylum norms during his Senate confirmation hearing.

The initiative targets the 1951 Refugee Convention and its 1967 protocol, post-World War II pacts ratified by most nations that enshrine the right to seek asylum from persecution based on race, religion, nationality, social group, or political opinion.Trump officials contend the current system is rife with abuse by economic migrants, not genuine refugees. At a recent internal meeting, top refugee official Spencer Chretien called for building a "new framework" to replace these accords.

Critics warn of dire humanitarian fallout. Mark Hetfield, president of refugee resettlement group HIAS, likened the plan to pre-Holocaust-era policies that left Jews and others fleeing persecution without recourse, arguing it could endanger millions worldwide. "If it were to change, we'd be back to the situation we were in during the Holocaust," Hetfield said.

While the U.S. can't unilaterally amend global pacts, the administration hopes to rally like-minded allies—potentially including some European nations facing migration pressures—for broader adoption. However, experts doubt widespread support, given the conventions' foundational role in international law.

The proposal arrives amid escalating global displacement, with over 120 million people forcibly uprooted as of mid-2025, per UN estimates.

This move underscores Trump's second-term focus on sovereignty over multilateralism, extending his "America First" doctrine to the world stage. As the UN General Assembly convenes in New York next week, all eyes will be on whether this asylum rollback gains traction—or faces swift international rebuke.