US lifting pandemic expulsion policy

The United States announced Friday that it was lifting a public health order imposed because of the Covid-19 pandemic that required the immediate expulsion of migrants arriving at the border.

Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said the so-called Title 42 public health order imposed by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) would be lifted next month.

"Title 42 remains in place until May 23 and, until then, DHS will continue to expel single adults and families encountered at the Southwest border," Mayorkas said in a statement.

Title 42, which has been in place since March 2020, required the expulsion of unauthorised single adults and family units arriving at US land borders, not letting them apply for asylum, in order to protect against the spread of Covid-19.

Mayorkas said more border agents were being deployed to "process new arrivals, evaluate asylum requests, and quickly remove those who do not qualify for protection."

Migrant advocates had argued that Title 42 was becoming outdated as the pandemic eases and an affront to international conventions allowing people to claim asylum.