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The data reveals a steady rise in asylum claims from US citizens since Trump’s inauguration on 20 January 2025
US President Donald Trump. (AFP photo)
A growing number of Americans are seeking asylum in Australia amid increasing political unrest and social divisions in the United States during Donald Trump’s second presidency.
Official figures from Australia’s Department of Home Affairs, obtained under Freedom of Information laws, show that at least 29 US citizens applied for humanitarian protection visas between January and July 2025, the first six months since Trump returned to the White House, The Guardian reported.
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Jana Favero, deputy chief executive of the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre (ASRC), said the centre had seen a rise in calls from Americans seeking advice on asylum claims.
“We are deeply concerned about the increasing attacks on human rights in the United States, and in particular the targeting of the LGBTIQ+ community,” she said.
Although the Department of Home Affairs does not publish specific reasons for asylum applications, to be granted refugee status in Australia, applicants must demonstrate a “well-founded fear of persecution” based on factors such as race, religion, nationality, political opinion, or membership of a particular social group.
The data reveals a steady rise in asylum claims from US citizens since Trump’s inauguration on 20 January 2025. While fewer than five applications were lodged from February to April, numbers increased to five in May, seven in June, and 14 in July. This brings the total to between 29 and 38 applications over the six-month period, as the department does not disclose numbers below five for any single month.
In comparison, fewer than five US citizens applied for asylum in each of the last six months of 2024. All these claims relate to subclass 866 onshore protection visas, which require applicants to be in Australia on a valid visa before applying.
No US applicants have yet been granted protection visas this year, though decisions can take months or years.
Professor Daniel Ghezelbash, director of the Kaldor Centre for International Refugee Law at UNSW, noted that visa outcomes depend on the risk of persecution at the time applications are assessed, not when they are lodged.
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The News Desk is a team of passionate editors and writers who break and analyse the most important events unfolding in India and abroad. From live updates to exclusive reports to in-depth explainers, the Desk d…Read More
The News Desk is a team of passionate editors and writers who break and analyse the most important events unfolding in India and abroad. From live updates to exclusive reports to in-depth explainers, the Desk d… Read More
Australia
October 02, 2025, 20:15 IST
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