US to allow in thousands of asylum seekers waiting in Mexico

US to allow in thousands of asylum seekers waiting in Mexico
# 13 February 2021 09:43 (UTC +04:00)

The Biden administration says it will start gradually allowing into the US tens of thousands of asylum seekers currently forced to wait in Mexico, APA reports citing BBC.

It says it will begin next week processing about 25,000 people with active cases.

Asylum seekers will first be required to register and pass a Covid-19 test, before being allowed in via one of three border crossings.

The move reverses the much-criticised policies of ex-President Donald Trump.

The Migrant Protection Protocols programme was enacted in 2019, deterring would-be asylum seekers from coming to the US.

It required migrants entering through the southern border to wait in Mexico while their cases were being heard by US immigration courts.

But on his first day in office since winning last year's election, President Joe Biden suspended the policy.

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THE OPERATION IS BEING PERFORMED