Geneva, Jul 17 (IANS): The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) said it had expressed its concerns about the new asylum restrictions put in place by the US administration, saying this measure will put vulnerable people and families at risk.

"UNHCR understands that the US asylum system is under strain, but it believes that the US new policy is undermining efforts across the region to devise a coherent and collective response to the crisis," Xinhua quoted UNHCR spokesperson Elizabeth Throssell as saying during a press briefing here on Tuesday.

She added that the interim rule excessively curtailed the right to apply for asylum, jeopardised the protection from refoulement.

It significantly raised the burden of proof on asylum seekers, beyond international legal standards, and it was not in line with international obligations, she said.

The US Department of Justice on Monday said it would raise its application threshold for asylum, potentially slowing down the flow of immigrants.

The new rule, expected to go into effect Tuesday, would prevent immigrants from applying for US asylum if they arrive through a third country, significantly affecting large number of Central American immigrants who come to the US southern border through Mexico.