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USCIS issues guidance regarding asylum and internal relocation

  1. Original Date Announced

    July 26, 2019

    USCIS acting director sends guidance to asylum officers emphasizing the importance of considering whether asylum seekers who have been victims of private violence are able to relocate within their countries of origin, and directs asylum officers to elicit testimony to determine if the noncitizen attempted to internally relocate to any safe areas in their home country prior to travel to the United States. [ID #85]

    Asylum and Internal Relocation Guidance
  2. Effective Date

    July 26, 2019

Current Status

Fully in Effect

Original Trump Policy Status

Status: Final/Actual
Trump Administration Action: Change in Practice
Subject Matter: Asylum, Withholding and CAT
Agencies Affected: USCIS

Pre Trump-Era Policies

  • The new guidance cites to the existing regulation, 8 CFR 208.13(b)(3), to emphasize the importance of assessing a person’s ability to safely relocate to another part of his or her home country. However, the guidance omits reference to the other important aspects of the internal relocation analysis mentioned in the regulation requiring the adjudicator to analyze whether "it would be reasonable to expect the applicant to [internally relocate]." 8 CFR § 208.13

Documents

Trump-Era Policy Documents

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