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Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Thursday that the United States and Paraguay have signed a new asylum agreement requiring migrants seeking refuge in the U.S. to apply for protection in the South American nation instead.
Under the Safe Third Country Agreement, asylum seekers must request protection in the first safe country they enter, which could include Paraguay, rather than traveling on to the United States. Rubio said the deal is intended to curb abuse of the U.S. asylum process and distribute the responsibility of handling migration among partner nations.
“[President Trump] will no longer allow the U.S. asylum system to be abused,” Rubio wrote on X.
“Today’s signing of a Safe Third Country Agreement with Paraguay allows asylum seekers in the United States to pursue their protection claims in Paraguay. We thank President Santiago Peña for his leadership in combating illegal immigration and partnering to create a more secure hemisphere,” he added.
Rubio also addressed the news in a press statement from the State Department on Thursday.
“Today, I welcomed Paraguayan Foreign Minister Ruben Ramírez to the State Department to sign a Safe Third Country Agreement (STCA) between the United States and Paraguay. This agreement provides asylum seekers currently in the United States the opportunity to pursue their protection claims in Paraguay, allowing our nations to share the burden of managing illegal immigration while shutting down the abuse of our nation’s asylum system,” he wrote.
“This agreement is just one example of the broader strategic partnership between the United States and Paraguay. Under President Santiago Peña’s leadership, we are deepening cooperation across security, diplomatic, and economic fronts. Together, we are combating transnational crime, countering malign actors, and advancing regional stability,” Rubio continued.
The agreement is part of a broader partnership between Washington and Asunción on security, diplomacy, and economic cooperation.
The U.S. has signed similar arrangements with other countries, including Canada, Honduras, and Guatemala. Proponents argue that such agreements help deter irregular migration and ensure asylum protections are available closer to migrants’ points of origin.