Many asylum seekers in the UK and US are attempting to travel back to their home countries for the holidays, despite policies prohibiting such trips, according to recent statements by government officials.
According to Express, Phil Douglas, chief of the UK Border Force, revealed that officers have discovered asylum seekers at airports trying to return home for Christmas. “We do find a lot of people who have claimed asylum in this country and are heading back to their own country for holidays, which obviously isn’t allowed,” he stated.
Similarly, in the US, aid groups reported that over 100 asylum seekers, including families with children, were dropped off near Vice President Kamala Harris’ residence in Washington, DC on Christmas Eve after being transported from Texas. Many were seeking to travel onwards to New York and New Jersey to reunite with relatives for the holidays.
These incidents highlight confusion amongst asylum seekers regarding complex and frequently changing travel regulations. Policies often prohibit return trips while claims are being processed, but poor communication leaves many migrants unaware.
Simultaneously, record backlogs in the UK and US asylum systems, numbering over 130,000 and 600,000 respectively, leave applicants in limbo for years. The deprivation of family contact during this lengthy waiting period provokes risky attempted trips home.
The holiday travel attempts also demonstrate economic motivations behind some migrants’ journeys, complicating distinctions between “genuine” asylum seekers and economic migrants.
James Cleverly, UK Home Secretary, recently stated that many arrivals are “fundamentally economic migrants,” while asylum was meant for those “fleeing persecution.”
Increased deportations, like the Biden administration’s first removal flight to Venezuela in October, further deter asylum seekers from approaching authorities to understand shifting rules. Deportations have risen sharply in 2022, with over 6,000 Venezuelans expelled under pandemic restrictions.
Advocates urge policymakers to address backlogs and clarify travel rules for asylum seekers, while treating all migrants humanely. “The conflict in the Middle East has already led to a refugee crisis,” noted a Russian Jewish organization after an antisemitic mob stormed an airport in Dagestan to protest arrivals from Tel Aviv.
As climate disasters and violence continue displacing record numbers globally, experts emphasize that deportations and harsh rhetoric won’t slow migration rooted in survival. Policy reforms that uphold asylum rights and facilitate family reunification are imperatives this holiday season and into an increasingly volatile new year
