President Joe Biden told immigrants finding their way to the U.S. “don’t come over” as his administration tries to respond to an increase of unaccompanied children seeking asylum at the borders.

Mr Biden revealed that the immediate issue was children needing safety at the border and the administration moved to increase the number of beds available and fast track the process of placing children with U.S.-based sponsors while their legal cases play out.

The American president said his long term plan for the border included creating programs to address the factors driving people from their home countries such as violence, poverty, corruption and the climate crisis – and to allow children to apply for asylum from those countries, instead of at the border.