Rights group calls for support for asylum seekers after Trump win – JURIST

The International Rescue Committee (IRC) released a guide Wednesday for supporting asylum seekers in light of Donald Trump’s victory in the 2024 US presidential election while also calling on the incoming administration to collaborate on the protection of refugee rights.

According to the IRC, over 120 million people have been displaced by conflicts or disasters with 50 million of those people now living outside of their home countries. The organization called for further education and advocacy concerning refugee and asylum issues while also urging for donations and volunteers to support the cause.

The International Refugee Committee is a non-profit non-governmental organization founded in 1933 and functions in over 40 countries with the goal of providing humanitarian aid to displaced peoples. The IRC provides direct economic assistance, education, relocation assistance, and other humanitarian services to assist peoples suffering from persecution, natural disasters, and violent conflicts.

The organization denounced Trump and Biden era immigration policies Title 42 and the “Asylum Ban,” respectively, calling them violations of international law with the former having resulted in “13,000 documented cases of violence against those expelled to Mexico.” In stressing the issue the IRC wrote:

Evidence shows that deterrence policies don’t work. They create unpredictable and chaotic movements of people, enrich smugglers, and fail to achieve any meaningful long-term impact on arrival numbers. … The IRC urges candidates and elected officials to work with civil society groups to strengthen protection and asylum systems. It is essential to implement policies that guarantee the integrity of displaced people, regardless of their nationality or status and reaffirm America’s long held, bipartisan commitment to welcoming refugees and asylum seekers.

During his victory speech President-elect Donald Trump made a promise to “seal up” the borders, while in his original 2017-2021 term signed a proclamation that banned migrants caught entering the US illegally from seeking asylum. President Joe Biden continued some of the Trump era immigration policies, including Title 42, which turned back migrants on the basis of public health, while a 2023 “Asylum Ban” further restricted who could achieve asylum status.