An increasing number of asylum seekers decide to stay in Sweden despite their cases being rejected.

U.S. President George W. Bush sharply challenged critics of his stalled immigration overhaul efforts on Thursday, suggesting that failure to pass a guest worker program could trigger a labor shortage in the United States.

The U.S. Senate next week is expected to make another effort to pass a sweeping immigration reform bill. The measure was blocked by opposition Republicans earlier this month, and its fate remains unclear, as VOA's Deborah Tate reports from Capitol Hill.

Efforts in the U.S. Senate to approve a major reform of U.S. immigration law are on the brink of failure amid disagreements between majority Democrats and Republicans over its provisions.

President Bush says a primary goal of immigration reform is to bring millions of illegal aliens "out of the shadows" and provide a path to legal residency and eventual U.S. citizenship.

Lawmakers in the U.S. Senate have rejected a handful of amendments that could have derailed a controversial immigration reform plan. By a vote of 66-29, senators rejected an amendment by Republican Party legislator David Vitter to eliminate a provision that offers legal status to most of the 12 million illegal immigrants living in the United States.

The U.S. Senate late Monday used a procedural vote (69 to 23) to clear the way for debate on an immigration reform compromise that was announced by a group of senators from both major parties and the White House last week. Prospects for passage of the deal are unclear, as there are opponents on both sides of the political aisle.

The debate over a compromise immigration reform plan negotiated by President Bush and senators from both parties is expected to heat up this week, as the Senate takes up the issue Monday.

A group of U.S. senators from both major political parties has reached agreement with the White House on comprehensive immigration reform legislation. President Bush is urging lawmakers to approve the measure as soon as possible.

Last week, President Bush reaffirmed his support for overhauling America's immigration system to provide a path to eventual citizenship for the estimated 12 million illegal aliens in the country. One of the most contentious issues in the immigration debate is the effect that undocumented workers have on the U.S. labor market.

Two days after thousands of people rallied in several American cities to call for change in U.S. immigration laws, President Bush again spoke out for what he calls comprehensive reform. Members of the president's own Republican Party in the House of Representatives scuttled his efforts last year. But Mr. Bush today spoke optimistically of chances for action this year.