US Will Target Asylum Backlog By Reviewing Newer Cases First

"LOS ANGELES (AP) — The U.S. government will start reviewing more recent asylum applications ahead of older ones in a bid to stem a growing backlog of hundreds of thousands of cases, officials said Wednesday.

The move aims to prevent immigrants from applying for asylum to bide their time and obtain work permits when they don’t qualify for the protection as well as enable those genuinely fleeing persecution in their home countries to settle here, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services said.

More than 300,000 people are waiting for their asylum applications to be reviewed by government officers, compared with 16,000 in July 2012..."

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