The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), Filippo Grandi, has warned countries around the world about the restrictions on the right to asylum, which they are attempting to put in place or are already putting in place in response to the COVID-19 crisis.
In a press release issued on Thursday 19 March, the senior official stated that in order to combat the spread of COVID-19, “many countries are rightly adopting exceptional measures, restricting air travel and cross-border movements”.
However, “wars and persecution have continued and today, all over the world, people continue to flee their homes in search of safety. I am increasingly concerned about measures adopted by some countries that could completely block the right to apply for asylum”, said the High Commissioner, recalling that while “all States must manage their borders as part of this unique crisis as they see fit”, “these measures must not have the effect of closing the access routes to asylum or forcing people to return to dangerous situations”.
In recent days, several countries have announced the suspension of asylum applications in connection with the crisis. This is the case in the United States at the Mexican border, but also in Belgium, where the Immigration Office suspended the registration of new applications on Wednesday 18 March, arguing that its premises do not comply with the rules on social distancing. (Original version in French by Solenn Paulic)