The Asylum Officer asked:
-inside the prison, what did you hear? coughing of prisoners who had Tuberculosis?
the screams of prisoners being beaten? a large angry prisoner, in your face, yelling at you?
=
did you see any blood inside prison?
did you see any insects, flies, rats?
did you see any dead bodies?
=
You suffered in your capitol city? so, why not go live in a small village far away? why do you think your government could find you there?
=
what have been your political activities here in USA?
what have you done here, that annoys or irritates your government?
Why hasn't your husband suffered any harm since you have been here?
Is there anything else?
What is your favorite exhibit?
Is there anything else?
where is the envelope for this letter?
How do I know your husband really wrote this letter? maybe someone else did?
Thursday, March 29, 2012
an activist from Ethiopia
The Asylum Officer asked:
-show me your passport! did you photocopy each page of your passport?
Tell me about all of your international travel: where did you go, why, how long, what was your status in each country; how come you did not apply for asylum in each country?
-
Tell me about each member of your family: where are they, why not here in USA, did they suffer physical harm? emotional harm? economic harm?
1] your husband: did he suffer any a] physical harm; b] emotional harm; c] economic harm?
2] your oldest child?
=
You stood on the sidewalk in front of your Embassy in Washington DC, holding a large sign criticizing your government, and you chanted slogans, criticizing your government?
-did anyone inside the Embassy notice you? did anyone look out of the window?
=
You say your government knows you, because you protested in front of your Embassy? If so, why don't they punish or harm you? why don't they punish or harm your husband?
=
What is the ethnic group of the leader of your country?
what is your ethnic group? how does his group feel about your group?
=
what is the religion of the leader? what is your religion? how does he feel about your religion?
Is your ethnic group important to your asylum claim? How?
is your religion important to your asylum claim? how?
How do you feel about your government?
Why are you against your government?
What were your political activities in your country?
Where did you distribute pamphlets?
Did any of your political activities in your country come to the attention of your governemnt? How? how do you know that? does anyone agree with you?
=
what did you do, to get the attention of your government, in your country?
What does "a photo is worth 1,000 words" mean?
What does your government spend money on? what do you think your government should spend money on?
What have you done, politically, in your country, to get you into trouble in your country?
Where were you at the moment of your arrest?
What words did the soldiers say?
Where did they take you? what words did they say in that building?
Why were you released? what did they say to you, on the day of your release?
What was the motive of the government? why did they target you?
What was the worst thing that happened to you inside the prison?
-show me your passport! did you photocopy each page of your passport?
Tell me about all of your international travel: where did you go, why, how long, what was your status in each country; how come you did not apply for asylum in each country?
-
Tell me about each member of your family: where are they, why not here in USA, did they suffer physical harm? emotional harm? economic harm?
1] your husband: did he suffer any a] physical harm; b] emotional harm; c] economic harm?
2] your oldest child?
=
You stood on the sidewalk in front of your Embassy in Washington DC, holding a large sign criticizing your government, and you chanted slogans, criticizing your government?
-did anyone inside the Embassy notice you? did anyone look out of the window?
=
You say your government knows you, because you protested in front of your Embassy? If so, why don't they punish or harm you? why don't they punish or harm your husband?
=
What is the ethnic group of the leader of your country?
what is your ethnic group? how does his group feel about your group?
=
what is the religion of the leader? what is your religion? how does he feel about your religion?
Is your ethnic group important to your asylum claim? How?
is your religion important to your asylum claim? how?
How do you feel about your government?
Why are you against your government?
What were your political activities in your country?
Where did you distribute pamphlets?
Did any of your political activities in your country come to the attention of your governemnt? How? how do you know that? does anyone agree with you?
=
what did you do, to get the attention of your government, in your country?
What does "a photo is worth 1,000 words" mean?
What does your government spend money on? what do you think your government should spend money on?
What have you done, politically, in your country, to get you into trouble in your country?
Where were you at the moment of your arrest?
What words did the soldiers say?
Where did they take you? what words did they say in that building?
Why were you released? what did they say to you, on the day of your release?
What was the motive of the government? why did they target you?
What was the worst thing that happened to you inside the prison?
I suffered FGM 30 years ago
The Asylum Officer asked:
-today, is there pain upon urination? how many times per day do you urinate?
-Who did the cutting? what was her training?
Did she cut other girls the same day? did blood from another girl get on you?
What is your opinion about FGM?
What percent of the girls in your country get FGM?
Do you know anyone who died from it?
What is a "cyst"? is it a large growth of flesh or tissue, in a place where you do not want it, such as "down there."?
-What percent of girls who suffer FGM at age ten have large cysts growing in or near their vaginas at age 40?
-Are you sure you do not have a cyst down there?
-today, is there pain upon urination? how many times per day do you urinate?
-Who did the cutting? what was her training?
Did she cut other girls the same day? did blood from another girl get on you?
What is your opinion about FGM?
What percent of the girls in your country get FGM?
Do you know anyone who died from it?
What is a "cyst"? is it a large growth of flesh or tissue, in a place where you do not want it, such as "down there."?
-What percent of girls who suffer FGM at age ten have large cysts growing in or near their vaginas at age 40?
-Are you sure you do not have a cyst down there?
Wednesday, March 21, 2012
a minority from Iraq
The Asylum Officer asked:
-has the blue sheet about translation been explained to you?
Can you repeat everything on page one of Form I-589?
-everything on page 2? your last address in your country?
Did anyone help you prepare this application?
How did you enter the USA?
How many passports have you been issued by Government?
where is each passport, right now?
Tell me about all of your international travel?
Why did you visit Lebanon? why not seek asylum there?
=
Why do you seek asylum now, but not earlier?
When did you decide to apply for asylum?
how did you learn about the ability to file asylum?
who told you? when?
Today, here in USA: where do you live, and who lives with you?
=
do you have a political opinion?
what does "pro-democracy" mean?
What is democracy? don't you have democracy in your country?
Was your husband a member of the Baath party?
Have you ever been harmed in your country?
what is "emotional" harm? what is "economic" harm?
Some one made a threat over the telephone?
Who was it? who do you think it was?
Why was the man targeting your husband?
the man was angry at the entire family, or just your husband?
=
you say the man who made the threats was mad at your husband because he helped the Americans? how did the man know that your husband helped the Americans?
-after the threat, did you report it to the police? why not?
Later, your brother was attacked on the street?
by whom? why?
Did anyone report the attack to the police? why not?
why is it a waste of time to report to the police?
Did you have any problems in your country?
between the years 2009-2010, any problems?
Who hurt you, and why?
During the year 2011, any problems?
Who hurt you, and why?
How did they know things about you?
=
Why did you come to the USA?
why do you want asylum?
if you return to your country, what would happen?
You say the militias hate you? why?
You say you have lived here in USA for over two years. Why is this important?
How would the militias know that you have lived here for over two years?
What emotions do you have about hijabs? would you wear one if you return?
==
You say your country is very dangerous? If so, why did you voluntarily return there in 2011?
Is there anything else?
-has the blue sheet about translation been explained to you?
Can you repeat everything on page one of Form I-589?
-everything on page 2? your last address in your country?
Did anyone help you prepare this application?
How did you enter the USA?
How many passports have you been issued by Government?
where is each passport, right now?
Tell me about all of your international travel?
Why did you visit Lebanon? why not seek asylum there?
=
Why do you seek asylum now, but not earlier?
When did you decide to apply for asylum?
how did you learn about the ability to file asylum?
who told you? when?
Today, here in USA: where do you live, and who lives with you?
=
do you have a political opinion?
what does "pro-democracy" mean?
What is democracy? don't you have democracy in your country?
Was your husband a member of the Baath party?
Have you ever been harmed in your country?
what is "emotional" harm? what is "economic" harm?
Some one made a threat over the telephone?
Who was it? who do you think it was?
Why was the man targeting your husband?
the man was angry at the entire family, or just your husband?
=
you say the man who made the threats was mad at your husband because he helped the Americans? how did the man know that your husband helped the Americans?
-after the threat, did you report it to the police? why not?
Later, your brother was attacked on the street?
by whom? why?
Did anyone report the attack to the police? why not?
why is it a waste of time to report to the police?
Did you have any problems in your country?
between the years 2009-2010, any problems?
Who hurt you, and why?
During the year 2011, any problems?
Who hurt you, and why?
How did they know things about you?
=
Why did you come to the USA?
why do you want asylum?
if you return to your country, what would happen?
You say the militias hate you? why?
You say you have lived here in USA for over two years. Why is this important?
How would the militias know that you have lived here for over two years?
What emotions do you have about hijabs? would you wear one if you return?
==
You say your country is very dangerous? If so, why did you voluntarily return there in 2011?
Is there anything else?
Friday, March 16, 2012
an activist from Cameroon
The Asylum Officer asked:
-show me your passport! what is your immigration history? a] you asked for a visa, while living in Cameroon? what did you say on your application?
b] you were a student here in USA? for how long? where is I-20? how did you pay tuition?
who paid it?
=
Is there anyone here in USA who has knowledge of your case?
Why did you draw a picture of your nightmare?
After you were injured, did you return voluntarily to your "dangerous" country?
=
Tell me about all of your international travel: where did you live for each of the past 60 months? [there are 12 months in a year; 12 x 5= 60 months?]
You lived in Senegal for 3 months? why not apply for asylum there?
=
you say you were raped in June 2010? why were you raped? what was the motive of the bad guy? did you tell anyone about that event? why not?
-did you send emails to your brother? did he send emails to you? Will you open your email account right now,at my desk, and show me your email history?
=
Your boyfriend is named Pascal? where is he now? where did he live for the past five years? what was his immigration status in each country where he lived?
=
you say you were arrested in the city of Buea in December 2011? where were you at the moment of your arrest? who else was there? Baptiste was there? why did n't he write a letter of support for you?
-you were having a political meeting? what were you discussing? what alternatives did you consider? what subjects were being debated? you sat on a chair and listened? nothing else?
Does your government care if you sit on a chair in silence?
How did government find out you were having a meeting?
What did your government do that you did not like?
=
you were being injured by Captain David? why not flee from him sooner?
why the delay? why not go to the city of Yaounde? wouldn't you be safe there?
What options did you have at that time? what information did you have at that time?
=
did your mother ever have problems with government? can you tell me the month, year, and city?
=You arrived in USA in December 2011? then you waited over one year, and then applied for asylum? why the delay? did you have any health issues here in USA?
=
How did the Sergeant find out about the meeting? who told him?
You have a baby son? when you were in Senegal, who took care of him? now you are in USA: who takes care of him?
=
Did you join an organization here in USA? did they give you a card?
Why not? you do not really care about politics?
-back in your country, did you join an organization? did they give you a card?
-when your group protested, did they have a permit? were they arrested because they had no permit?
So, you were a student, protesting against your university? were any "similarly-situated" persons injured in the last six months?
-why did n't you see a doctor here in USA? how expensive are they? you work here in USA< don't you?
If you return to your country tomorrow, what would happen?
Why was there a long delay before you fled from the bad guys?
Why was there a long delay before you applied for asylum?
Earlier, you applied for a visa, you applied to be a student? I have a copy of your applications here; but you dont, correct? so, I know more about your applications than you do?
Is there anything else? yes?, what?
Do you have a Facebook account? what do you say on it?
-show me your passport! what is your immigration history? a] you asked for a visa, while living in Cameroon? what did you say on your application?
b] you were a student here in USA? for how long? where is I-20? how did you pay tuition?
who paid it?
=
Is there anyone here in USA who has knowledge of your case?
Why did you draw a picture of your nightmare?
After you were injured, did you return voluntarily to your "dangerous" country?
=
Tell me about all of your international travel: where did you live for each of the past 60 months? [there are 12 months in a year; 12 x 5= 60 months?]
You lived in Senegal for 3 months? why not apply for asylum there?
=
you say you were raped in June 2010? why were you raped? what was the motive of the bad guy? did you tell anyone about that event? why not?
-did you send emails to your brother? did he send emails to you? Will you open your email account right now,at my desk, and show me your email history?
=
Your boyfriend is named Pascal? where is he now? where did he live for the past five years? what was his immigration status in each country where he lived?
=
you say you were arrested in the city of Buea in December 2011? where were you at the moment of your arrest? who else was there? Baptiste was there? why did n't he write a letter of support for you?
-you were having a political meeting? what were you discussing? what alternatives did you consider? what subjects were being debated? you sat on a chair and listened? nothing else?
Does your government care if you sit on a chair in silence?
How did government find out you were having a meeting?
What did your government do that you did not like?
=
you were being injured by Captain David? why not flee from him sooner?
why the delay? why not go to the city of Yaounde? wouldn't you be safe there?
What options did you have at that time? what information did you have at that time?
=
did your mother ever have problems with government? can you tell me the month, year, and city?
=You arrived in USA in December 2011? then you waited over one year, and then applied for asylum? why the delay? did you have any health issues here in USA?
=
How did the Sergeant find out about the meeting? who told him?
You have a baby son? when you were in Senegal, who took care of him? now you are in USA: who takes care of him?
=
Did you join an organization here in USA? did they give you a card?
Why not? you do not really care about politics?
-back in your country, did you join an organization? did they give you a card?
-when your group protested, did they have a permit? were they arrested because they had no permit?
So, you were a student, protesting against your university? were any "similarly-situated" persons injured in the last six months?
-why did n't you see a doctor here in USA? how expensive are they? you work here in USA< don't you?
If you return to your country tomorrow, what would happen?
Why was there a long delay before you fled from the bad guys?
Why was there a long delay before you applied for asylum?
Earlier, you applied for a visa, you applied to be a student? I have a copy of your applications here; but you dont, correct? so, I know more about your applications than you do?
Is there anything else? yes?, what?
Do you have a Facebook account? what do you say on it?
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