The Hindu Editorial (Desperation in distress) – Dec 29, 2023

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The Hindu Editorial (Desperation in distress) – Dec 29, 2023:

desperation (noun) – hopelessness, pain, misery, anguish, distress, agony, despair, sadness, depression.
in distress (phrase) – in a very difficult situation.
migration (noun) – the movement of people within the borders of the same country or across international borders in order to find work or better living conditions.
curtail (verb) – reduce, decrease, cut down, lessen, diminish, restrict, limit.
it is no surprise that (phrase) – used to indicate that something is expected or unsurprising.
distress (noun) – anguish, pain, suffering, agony, affliction, misery, trouble.
seek (verb) – aim, try, attempt.
episode (noun) – incident, event, happening, occurrence, circumstance.
detain (verb) – hold in custody, arrest, restrain, confine, hold captive.
suspected (adjective) – considered, inferred, presumed, feared,
trafficking (noun) – the activity of buying and selling goods/animal/people illegally; (illegal/illicit) trading, dealing.
sought past tense of seek (verb) – ask for, request, appeal for.
asylum (noun) – protection provided by a foreign country to somebody who is unable or unwilling to return to their home country due to fear of persecution (harm, harassment or oppression).
well-known (adjective) – familiar, common, usual, widely known.
alarming (adjective) – worrying, disturbing, shocking, distressing.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) (noun) – CBP, is one of the world’s largest law enforcement organizations. As the United States’ first unified border entity, CBP takes a comprehensive approach to border management and control, combining customs, immigration, border security, and agricultural protection into one coordinated and supportive activity.
sparsely (adverb) – in small numbers; scantily, scarcely, infrequently.
man (verb) – employ a staff/crew to defend/guard something (i.e., border).
rise (noun) – increase.
rather (adverb) – somewhat, slightly, kind of, sort of.
treacherous (adjective) – disloyal, unfaithful, deceitful, double-dealing; dangerous, hazardous, unsafe, risky.
come to light (phrase) – become widely known, become apparent, become evident, be revealed or disclosed, appear, transpire.
pandemic (noun) – the worldwide spread of a new disease; The illness spreads around the world and typically affects a large number of people across a wide area.
led to past participle of lead to (verb) – result in, cause, bring on, bring about, give rise to, produce.
invoke (verb) – cite, mention, refer to, point to, adduce, turn to, resort to.
Title 42 of the U.S. Code (noun) – the United States Code dealing with public health, social welfare, and civil rights.
empower (adjective) – authorize, allow, permit, entitle.
turn away (phrasal verb) – prevent, block, stop, resist, repel, drive back, send away.
asylum seeker (noun) – someone seeking a foreign country to provide protection to him/her who is unable or unwilling to return to their home country due to fear of persecution (harm, harassment or oppression); displaced person, exile, outcast.
hearing (noun) – inquiry, investigation, examination, legal proceedings.
administration (noun) – regime, government.
steadily (adverb) – gradually.
willing (adjective) – ready, prepared, agreeable.
bear (verb) – endure, tolerate, put up, withstand, suffer, undergo, experience, weather, go through.
immigrant (noun) – non-native, foreigner, migrant.
suggest (verb) – indicate, point to, intimate, imply,
mislead (verb) – deceive, misguide, misdirect, misinform.
tell-tale (adjective) – revealing, suggestive, indicative.
unaccompanied (adjective) – alone, lone, lonely, lonesome, unescorted, unattended, companionless,
cite (verb) – invoke, mention, refer to, point to, adduce, turn to, resort to.
alleged (adjective) – supposed, claimed, professed, purported, reported, ostensible.
persecution (noun) – harrassment, victimization, oppression, persistent annoyance, coercion/intimidation.
regardless of (phrase) – despite, notwithstanding, in spite of, nevertheless, in any case.
pay attention to (verb) – heed, take notice of, pay regard to, take into account, consider, concentrate, focus, be attentive, be wary.
racket (noun) – illegal scheme, fraud, fraudulent scheme, criminal activity.
widespread (adjective) – general, common, prevalent, omnipresent, ubiquitous, rampant.
gullible (adjective) – easily deceived, easily tricked, easily cheated, easily duped, over-trusting, unsceptical, innocent, naive, exploitable, unwary.
fall prey to (phrase) – be vulnerable to, succumb to, fall victim to.
exacerbate (phrasal verb) – increase, escalate, add to, intensify, heighten, aggravate, make worse.
plummeting (adjective) – decreasing, declining rapidly, falling sharply, plunging, slumping.
overexploited (adjective) – overused, overutilized, overcapitalized.
fragmented (adjective) – disintegrated, shattered, ruined, damaged, broken.
crackdown (noun) – clampdown, getting tough/severe measures, suppression.
exploitative (adjective) – unprincipled, unethical, immoral, dishonest, fraudulent.
middlemen (noun) – broker, agent, go-between, intermediary.
labour market (noun) – also called job market, it refers to the supply and demand for employment.