The United States has ordered its embassies worldwide to intensify scrutiny of diplomatic and official visa applications following the discovery that hundreds of foreign government representatives entered the country on official assignments and subsequently applied for asylum.
US Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau disclosed this following a comprehensive State Department review of diplomatic and official visas issued between 2019 and 2023.
The review covered “A” visas, generally issued to diplomats and foreign government officials, and “G” visas, granted to representatives of governments travelling to international organisations in the United States.
According to Landau, the findings revealed that many individuals admitted into the United States to conduct official business on behalf of their governments later sought asylum on the grounds that they faced persecution by those same governments.
He described the trend as evidence of systemic abuse of the American asylum process.
Data released by the State Department showed that 420 people from one country who entered the United States on diplomatic or official visas during the five-year period subsequently filed asylum applications, classified as “I-589 events.” Two other unnamed countries each recorded more than 200 such applications.
A separate analysis based on percentages showed that 17.25 per cent of diplomatic and official visa holders from one country sought asylum, while two other countries recorded rates exceeding 10 per cent.
The State Department withheld the identities of the 10 countries with the highest numbers and proportions of applications, explaining that the matter was being addressed through diplomatic channels.
“To say that these charts highlight systemic abuse of our asylum system would be an understatement,” Landau said.
He argued that the cases presented a serious contradiction, as individuals admitted to represent their governments later claimed they could not safely return home because they faced persecution by those same authorities.
Landau announced that, under President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, American embassies—particularly those operating in countries identified as the most serious offenders—had been directed to conduct more rigorous assessments of applications for diplomatic and official visas.
The enhanced screening is expected to examine applicants’ official status, travel purposes, government affiliations and the credibility of their declared assignments before visas are issued.
Landau also warned that individuals found to have exploited diplomatic or official visa channels would be held accountable, although he did not provide details of the measures being considered.
The move forms part of the Trump administration’s broader effort to tighten US immigration controls, strengthen visa vetting and prevent the asylum system from being used to circumvent established immigration procedures.
The State Department findings were disclosed by Landau in a statement published on his official social-media account.
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