The mood in the USA: Democracy in danger of elections 2024?

The mood in the USA: Democracy in danger of elections 2024?

The United States, regarded as a symbol of democracy and freedom for a long time, is currently experiencing a political change that shakes the foundations of its democratic institutions. Developments under Donald Trump's presidency raise serious doubts about this perception. Like Derwesten.de warns Karl Kopp, Managing Director of Pro Asyl, who could show himself in the western world.

The situation is also complicated by the fact that more and more US citizens are thinking about asylum applications. So far, such applications from US members in Germany have been extremely rare. A spokeswoman for the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF) confirmed that so far there have been hardly any applications from the United States. Wiebke Judith, legal policy spokeswoman for Pro Asyl, emphasizes the need for an impartial examination of these applications. It is currently too early to speculate about the chances of success.

political mobility and uncertainty

Judith suspects that US citizens who feel unsafe will first try to get to other countries via study or working visa. A similar behavior can also be observed among asylum seekers from Turkey, especially among academics. The asylum procedure is often seen as the final way out, which increased the protection rate for US applicants from 3.8 to 12.5 percent.

The framework conditions for asylum applications could continue to change through future political tensions. A serious forecast for the development of the protection rate is currently not possible, but each application is checked individually. Several factors could lead to an increase in applications from the USA in the coming months.

new migration regulations and legal disputes

In the United States, the situation on the southern border is increasingly tense. A US court has overturned a migration regulation of the bidding government, which migrants excluded from the right to asylum if they were illegally crossed the border or did not apply asylum in another country. tagesschau.de reports that US federal judge Jon Tigar from California blocked this regulation. The judge gave the government for two weeks for an appointment.

The new regulations that serve as a replacement for the rules introduced under Trump (Title 42) allow migrants to be rejected rapidly. This development affects Mexico citizens in particular, which can reach the US limit without prior through a third-country country. Many interest groups complained of the new rules because they would violate, and judge Tigar agreed to the plaintiffs.

political polarization and social division

The social context is characterized by a dramatic political polarization. Regardless of the outcome of the presidential elections on November 5, 2024, political trends indicate an upcoming democratic crisis that could also affect migration. According to swp-berlin.org , a re-election of Trump could accelerate the weakening of democratic institutions. The loss of confidence in the integrity of elections and the role of the congress leads to a deep division in society.

The political arguments are perceived as existential while control over the institutions is disappearing. The storm on the Capitol on January 6, 2021 marked a turning point that endangered the tradition of peaceful transfer of power in the United States. Many Republicans refuse to see Joe Biden as a lawful president, which further exacerbates the tensions.