Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau spoke at a panel discussion titled “Global Refugee Asylum System: What Went Wrong and How to Fix It,” held as a side event during the United Nations General Assembly in New York City.
Landau opened his remarks by highlighting the significance of migration as an ongoing issue. He noted, "Migration, I think, is going to be one of the defining topics of the 21st century, whether we like it or not. It was, in some ways, a defining topic of the 20th century as well." He referenced the role played by the United Nations after World War II in creating mechanisms to assist migratory flows and help nations develop asylum and refugee systems.
Landau emphasized that there are distinct differences between immigration and asylum. He explained that each country has its own immigration laws for economic or other reasons, while asylum was designed as a limited exception for individuals facing persecution on specific grounds such as religion, race, or political opinion. "Economic privation is not a basis for asylum," he stated.
He raised concerns about current trends where large numbers of people claim asylum without meeting the criteria. According to Landau, "In our system at least, when these claims get adjudicated, 90-plus percent of people are found not to be eligible for asylum." He warned that this overload risks obscuring genuine cases: "If you have hundreds of thousands of fake asylum seekers, what happens to the real asylum seekers? They get lost in the midst of a massive bureaucratic process."
Landau called on international actors to address abuses within asylum systems: "It behooves those who really are concerned about the plight of the real asylum seekers in the world to have an international order that accepts the fact that we should discourage people from abusing this process." He argued that if abuse continues unchecked, countries might abolish their asylum systems altogether.
The Deputy Secretary outlined five principles proposed by the United States:
1. Each nation has the right to control its borders.
2. There is no right for individuals to choose their destination country for immigration or asylum.
3. Refugee status should be temporary rather than permanent.
4. Sovereign states must determine whether conditions permit return.
5. Every country must agree to accept expeditiously the return of its nationals.
He shared an anecdote about an individual returning on holiday to their country of origin despite having received asylum elsewhere as evidence that current systems are being misused.
Landau concluded by referencing recent legislative changes in Greece requiring rejected asylum seekers to return within 14 days—a move he supported—and reiterated his call for prompt adjudication and compliance with outcomes.
"But really, I am very grateful to our co-panelists for being in this forum to discuss their perspectives on migration and asylum, which I think are going to vary among all of us. But really, I think as the beginning of a serious international conversation that I think we have to recognize that the asylum system around the world has been subject to abuse if in fact we want to save the asylum system itself."
Thank you very much.