fgm questions

The asylum officer asked:
-when was the FGM done?
how was it done? what happened?
-did they use anesthesia?
-were there any complications during the first month?
-later in your life, what were the complications?
-what are your current physical problems?
What are your current "social" problems? i.e. problems with dating or talking to men?
-have you talked to a counselor about these issues? What did the counselor say?
=
did you consult a plastic surgeon? is plastic surgery possible?
Are you still angry at your mother, today, for letting this happen?

Tanzania, #2

More questions:
-what happened at the jail?
how many times were you interrogated?
what happened at the first interrogation?
What happened at the second one?
How did you get released?
What words did the guard say, on your last day at the jail?
Did you post bail?
Upon your release, you went where?
you went to the hospital?
Where are the hospital records now? did you ask to get records from the hospital?
-if you want to depart from your country, do you need an exit stamp? you got one?
The government which hates you, allows you to travel outside?
Why did they allow you to depart?
=
if you return, what would happen to you? why?
Is your government still interested in you, or have they forgotten about you?
Have you done anything, to bring yourself to the attention of your government?
How would they know if you return to your country? they did not know when you left, did they? so why would they know if you returned?

an activist from Tanzania

The Asylum Officer asked:
-Can you repeat page one? NO, you can't? why not?
What is your name? your name is wrong? If you get your name wrong, what else is wrong?
-when did you first become politically active?
Why join that party? what was its platform?
Tell me three planks in the platform!
What appealed to you about the party?
Give me more details! why can't you give me more details? were you really a member of the party, or are you just faking it?

Why did you join in 2009, and not earlier?
How did you participate in the party?
You say you attended meetings? so, you sat on a chair and listened to others talk?
If a deaf man was there, what words would he have heard?
-tell me three subjects that were debated
-tell me three alternatives that were discussed
=
pretend I am blind, and I am at the meeting. Describe it to me: how big is the room? lighting? chairs? tables,people, things written on the walls?
-what did you see, with your eyes?
[WERE YOU REALLY AT THE MEETING, OR ARE YOU JUST PRETENDING?

=
you say you went to a rally, and the police came?
Did you have a permit for the rally? did you throw stones at the police?
Did you violate the law of your country?
Pretend I am blind, and that I was there with you. Describe to me, what you saw

Pretend I am deaf, and that I was with you. What was there to hear? Who spoke,
and what did they say?
-if a man with a video, CAM-recorder was there, and he filmed you, and then I
see the film, what would it show you doing? just standing there?
Were your hands emppty? or were you holding a large placard?
Were you silent, or did you chant slogans?
=
Who was in charge of the rally? who organized it? how were you invited to it?
How did you get to it? drive a car? for how many minutes?

-did the policeman have any weapons? did he say anything?

an activist from Togo

The Asylum officer asked:
-can you repeat page one of your application? you think that is easy? can you do it twice in a row? what is your phone number? do you have more than one phone number?
-you say you never used another name? [Box 6} Didn't you receive letters from people who use a different name for you? So, you did use other names, yes?
-on page 4, it asks about your employment? there are errors on page 4? Yes? why?
you were too busy or tired to proof-read your application?
=
Why don't you want to return to your country?
Who threatened you? why?
What words did he say?
Did he say anything else?
=
The guard said you were against the government? why would he say that?
Why were you arrested in February 2013?
You say you were summoned to the police station? how far is it from your house to the police station? how many doors does the station have? how many windows?
[WERE YOU REALLY AT A STATION, OR ARE YOU MAKING IT UP?]
=
how were you harmed in December? physically? emotionally? economically?

How did they hit? where on your body?
Did they do anything else? why did they hit you?
How did you get released from jail? what happened on the last day?
How were you able to depart from your country? how come you were not arrested at the border?
If you return to your country, what would happen?
Is there anything else?

a pro-Western lady from Iraq

The Asylum officer asked:
-show me your passport! when was it issued? when expire?
Do you know all of your international travel?
Really? OK, tell me!
-you suffered harm in your country in 2010, you departed from this "dangerous" country, and then you voluntarily returned to it? So, I guess it is really not so dangerous, correct?
=
why would anyone voluntarily return to the country that is so full of danger?
=
let's see if you can repeat everything on page one of Form I-589: DOB? POB?
-can you repeat everything on pages 2-3?
Can you repeat everything on page 4?
When did you attend your first school?
Who prepared your application?
was it read back to you in your language?
Why did you visit Moscow? how long were you there?
Why did you visit Kinshasa? how long were you there?
Why didn't you ask for asylum in London? why the long delay?
=
So, why did you apply for asylum?
You fear whom?
The militias want to kill you? why?
What is the motive of the bad guys?
Are there six boxes on page 5 of Form I-589? is one of them, "a criminal robbed you and took your money?"
-did you report this problem to the police? why not?
=
your brother was injured? how? why? what weapons did the bad guys use?
What did the bad guys say, as they were hitting your brother?
Did brother or you file a report with the police?
You say your government does not protect you from the bad guys? if you do not tell the government about your problems, why would you expect the government to help you?
-is it OK for an asylum officer to deny asylum, because the applicant did not make a police report?
Is there anything else?

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/45272881/ex-12.doc

exhibit 12

Burundi #3

The Asylum Officer also asked:
-was the government aware of your activities?
-they put you into a jail cell?
-who else was inside?
-What else was inside? any animals? any insects?
What did you do all day, inside the cell?
What was a typical day like?
=
When exactly were you arrested?
Why can't you tell me the exact date?
were you charged with a crime?
Why were you released?
Where did you go?
Did you continue to work in your political party? why?

What questions did they ask you in jail?
Are you active here in the USA? why not?
you have a blog? what did you say in your last entry?
=
if you return to your country, would you continue to participate in your political party?
You had problems in the capital city? OK< so why not go live in a small village two hours away?
Would n't you be safe there?
When was the last time you talked to your wife? What did she say?

Burundi #2

The Asylum officer asked:
-the police arrested you in 2005? one officer said he hated your ethnic group?
Why isn't that detail in your Declaration?
Was it because you were advised to keep the Declaration "short"?
Who gave you that advice? your lawyer? why?
=
CAN YOU REPEAT YOUR DECLARATION? as you talk to me, is the Declaration right here in front of me, and I read it as you talk?
-you say the rebels stole your cows? did you see the rebels steal the cows? did someone tell you the rebels stole the cows? does anyone agree with you, that the rebels stole your cows? your neighbor? why does he believe that?
-after that, were you mistreated as a member of your ethnic group?
=
when did you join the political party?
when did you first hear about that party?
What role did you play in the party?
did you fear that "infiltrators/spies/informers" also joined that party?
-what did you do, that a movie camera would film? if someone watched the video of you, with the sound off, what would they see?
-what did the President of your party do?
What was the platform of your party?
In your city, how many members were there? how many in the country?
What were the goals of your party? "to end corruption." Any other goals?
What did you do on election day?
One day, the police came to the polling station? why didn't you mention this in your two-page Declaration?
-
IF YOU CANNOT REMEMBER WHAT YOU SAID IN A TWO-PAGE DECLARATION, SHOULD WE MAKE YOUR DECLARATION JUST ONE PAGE LONG?

activist from Burundi

The Asylum Officer asked:
-show me your passport!
was your application read back to you in a language you can understand?
Can you answer each question on page 1 of I-589?
Can you repeat the info on page 4 of I-589?
=
why are you applying for asylum?
Who do you fear?
Do you fear anyone else?
Why would Government harm you?
They would harm you b/c of your political opinion? any other reason?
How about because of your ethnic group?
What is your political opinion?
How does anyone in your country know your political opinion?
=
what is your ethnic group?
How does anyone in your country know your ethnic group?
Have you been mistreated b/c of your ethnic group?
-in 1999, rebels came into your house? what words did they say? can you repeat their words, right now, for me?
-did anyone else in your family get hurt? anyone suffer physical harm? anyone suffer emotional harm?
-did you report the home invasion to the police? why not?
=
how did the war affect you mentally?
Did you write a two-page Declaration? am I looking at it, right now?
You told me a story about the rebels in 1999. Why isn't that story in your Declaration?

activist from Cameroon #4

The Asylum Officer asked:
When was your first arrest?
Why were you arrested?
What did the policeman say to you?
He spoke in what language?
what clothes was he wearing?
what weapons did he have?
did he touch you?
did he put his hands on you?
Why did he arrest you?
[on page 5 of the asylum application, are six boxes: race/religion/political opinion etc.
If you were arrested for one of those reasons, maybe you get asylum. If you were arrested for another reason, such as you robbed a bank, or were a drunk driver, or you broke a window of the neighbor living near you, then no asylum. People who rob banks should get arrested, shouldn't they?]
So, why were you arrested?

=
What is a "declaration"? is your Declaration at page 11 of your application?
Can you repeat it?
when you talk to the Asylum Officer, does the Officer have it in front of him, and he reads it, as you talk, to see if you can repeat it?
-if your Declaration says, "When I was arrested, I was with my wife," but, in front of the officer, you say, "when I was arrested, I was alone, because my wife was at church," then the Officer will be annoyed. The Officer will ask, "why did you say one thing in your Declaration but something else to me? Do I know more about your Declaration than you do?"

activist from Cameroon #3

Still more questions:
What was the worst problem you expericenced?
when was the last time you were arrested?
where were you, at the moment of your arrest? [at home, on the street, in an office?]
what time was it?
Why were you arrested?
how long were you detained?
Describe what happened when you were arrested! [you saw three men in uniforms? they had guns? they yelled at you?
they grabbed you by the shoulders, put me into police car, and drove me to prison?

how did they beat you, at the time of your arrest?
how did they beat you, at the prison?
what happened upon arrival at the prison?
=
how many times were you hit with machete?
how many times were you hit with club?
What other weapons did they use?
What words did they say?
Please repeat all words they said, inside the prison
What kind of wounds did you suffer?
=
how frequently were you beaten? twice/day? some days, three times, other days four times?
Why were you detained?
How did you spend the time during the seven days you were in prison?
What did you do? sit alone on the floor? read books? look out the window?
=
Tell me what your cell looked like: 10 feet by 10 feet?
very poorly lighted?
what color were the walls? was anything written on the walls?
how go to toilet? hole in floor? bucket?
what did you smell/
what did you hear? screams from other prisoners?
what did you see? other prisoners? rats? mosquitos? snakes?

Activist from Cameroon #2

More questions:
How were you involved in your political party?
What did you do?
If a movie camera filmed you, in silence, and then was played, what would we see?
-we would see you 1] sitting at a desk, talking on the phone?
2] sitting in a chair, in a room with other people?
3] standing on the sidewalk, holding pamphlets, and handing them out to people who walked by?
4] walking into the student cafe, you stop at a table, and talk to the students?
5] walking on the street, going door to door, knocking on each door, and talking to whoever answered the door?
6] marching down the street, holding a large placard, and you are chanting slogans?
7] standing on the street, wearing a T-Shirt with a photo of the president of your party on it?

= = =
At the meetings, what plans were discussed?
What alternative were considered?
What was one idea that someone suggested?
= = =
Are you active here in USA?
Why not?

an activist from Cameroon #1

The Asylum Officer asked:
-who helped you prepare your application?
Was it read back to you, in your language?
are you aware of the contents of your application?
is everything in it true?
=
What is your name? [can you repeat what you wrote on your application?]
your address? date of birth/place of birth?
When did you last leave your country?
When did you enter the USA?
What was your last address in your country?
What was the last school you attended? from when to when?
What was the second last school you attended?
=
are you employed now?
wbat was your last job? you did that, from when to when?
What was your second last job? from when to when did you work there?
=
Why did you depart from your country?
who wants to kill you? why?
What was your political opinion?
why was there no freedom of expression in your country?
=
What happens to journalists in your country?
Have you heard any stories about journalists in prison?
What political party did you join?
Why did you join it?
Did you hold any leadership positions in it?

man from Syria #3

The Asylum Officer held the Declaration of applicant in front of her, and asked questions, to see if the applicant could repeat it.
-the Asylum Officer read the Declaration on the day of the interview?
-when was the last time you read it?
-is the Declaration in a language you can read?
=
did your brother also return to the "dangerous" country?
did your daughter also return? nothing happend to them, when they returned last year?
OK, so why would they suffer harm if they return again tomorrow?=
=
You say you were harmed because of your political opinion?
were you harmed for any other reason, such as your ethnic group? your religion?
=
You are a Kurd from Syria. In the last 30 days, did another Kurd from Syria suffer?
What was his name, what city, what happened to him?

Kurd frm Syria #2

The Asylum officer asked:

-Why did you join the political party?
Why did the police arrest you?
Why did the guard hit you?
How many times were you arrested? four times? which arrest was the worst?
Concerning arrest #1, where were you at the moment of your arrest?
Concerning arrest #2, where were you at the moment of your arrest?
#3?
#4?

Concerning arrest #1, why were you arrested?
concerning arrest #3, why were you arrested?

Aside from that, did you suffer any ohter harm?
did you suffer economic harm? how do you measure it in dollars/year?
Did you suffer emotional harm?
=
today, any physical problems?
Today, any emotional problems?

While you were in detention, how did you spend your time?
After arrest #1, how were you released? what was the conversation upon release?
Were any conditions put upon you?
=
what thoughts went through your mind when the guard came near you with a baton?
At the time of arrest #4, who was there with you, or near you? Did that person write a letter of support for you?
Why are you so vague?
[were you really arrested, or are you just making the story up? If it really happened, you should remember all kinds of details: what you saw, what you heard, what you felt; what you smelled, what you thought, what emotions you felt]
=
how did you get this letter? where is the envelope it came in? [did you print this in your basement, and have your friend sign it?]
=
you voluntarily returned to your country, that you say is dangerous? and nothing happened to you at that time? OK, so if return there tomorrow, nothing would happen, would it? why would something happen tomorrow, if it did not happen last year?

a Kurd from Syria

The Asylum officer asked:

What clothes should the applicant wear to the interview?
How many sentences can someone translate, at one time? If you speak four sentences, do you think the translator can translate all of your words?
Isn't it better to say just two sentences; let him translate, then say two more?
Will you give me a copy of your passport?
please show me all of your original documents!
please show me all envelopes, with stamps on them!
=
did someone read your application back to you, in your language?
ever used any other names?
can you repeat each date and thing on page One of Form I-589?
can you repeat all of page two?
can you repeat all of page three?
=
I love passports. how many passports have you ever been issued?
when did your last passport get issued? when does it expire?
Do you know what each stamp in your passport means?
Can you repeat everything that is one page four of I-589?
if you change your answers in front of the Asylum Officer, what will the officer think about you and the person who helped you prepare Form I-589?

You say your government hates you, and that your country is very dangerous, because the government wants to torture and kill you? Really?
-so, did you ever voluntarily return to your "dangerous" country?
-did your government give you a passport? did your government allow you to fly an airplane out of the country?
What inconsistency do you see in this situation?
=
Why are you applying for asylum?
...
OK, we are done now. Is there anything else?

a man from Syria

The Asylum officer asked: September 18, 2013

What clothes should the applicant wear to the interview?
How many sentences can someone translate, at one time? If you speak four sentences, do you think the translator can translate all of your words?
Isn't it better to say just two sentences; let him translate, then say two more?
Will you give me a copy of your passport?
please show me all of your original documents!
please show me all envelopes, with stamps on them!
=
did someone read your application back to you, in your language?
ever used any other names?
can you repeat each date and thing on page One of Form I-589?
can you repeat all of page two?
can you repeat all of page three?
=
I love passports. how many passports have you ever been issued?
when did your last passport get issued? when does it expire?
Do you know what each stamp in your passport means?
Can you repeat everything that is one page four of I-589?
if you change your answers in front of the Asylum Officer, what will the officer think about you and the person who helped you prepare Form I-589?

You say your government hates you, and that your country is very dangerous, because the government wants to torture and kill you? Really?
-so, did you ever voluntarily return to your "dangerous" country?
-did your government give you a passport? did your government allow you to fly an airplane out of the country?
What inconsistency do you see in this situation?
=
Why are you applying for asylum?
...
OK, we are done now. Is there anything else?

what IJ Yarbrough wanted to know

Former Immigration Judge Yarbrough asked these questions:
"On the day you were injured, tell me as many things as you can remember: the weather, the time of day, what you were wearing, what you saw, what you heard, what you felt, what you smelled. Tell me what thoughts went through your mind.

Ms. Segura was raped by six men. After she told what the first three men did, the Judge asked her what else was going on hearby. Segura's answer: "the mangoes were ripening. I could see them hanging large and full above my hear, and I could smell their sweetness in the air. It is something you do not have here in New York. I miss it so much."

Mr. Monzon was in prison for five days. The judge asked him what he saw during the day. He said, "I saw rats, mosquitoes, and a snake. I saw sick and dying prisoners lying down near me. Two of them were dead. Their bodies smelled bad in the heat."
What did you see, hear, and smell at night? "I could see almost nothing. I heard moans from other prisoners. A man far away, not in my cell, was screaming. I thought maybe the guards were hitting him. I smelled urine and feces."

the Judge wanted also to know

how many times did you suffer physical injury? 3x? when was the first time? what did you see? what did you hear?

how many times were you arrested? 2x? when was the first time? when was the second time?

how many times did someone threaten you, face-to-face? 3x? when was the first time? second?

how many times did someone threaten you, in writing? just nce? when?

you say you were at a party in October 2012, in the city of Dubai, with ten other people, when the police came and hit you? why did the police hit you? did any of the ten other people write a letter of support for you? why not?

Did you even ASK anyone to write a letter? why not?

did you suffer any economic harm? how much in dollars?

did you suffer any emotional harm? how? Today, how do you sleep?

what did the Judge ask, of the activist from Pakistan?

Tell me about each member of your family: where does each one live; does the person have a job, is a student, or what?
Husband? each child? mother? father? each brother? each sister?

Tell me about your education: finish high school? how many years in college?
Tell me about your employment: what have you worked during the past five years?

When did you last leave your country?
When did you enter the USA?

Tell me about all, I mean ALL, of your international travel:
6 weeks in Cameroon in 2010, as a tourist? why not apply for asylum there?
2 weeks in Egypt in 2011? why not apply for asylum there?

why do you fear returning to your country?
Tell me about the physical harm you suffered: tell me the month/year/city.
Did you go to the hospital, or see a doctor because of your harm? why not?
Did you go to the police, to make a report? why not?

Applicant loses, because of inconsistencies and because he could not repeat page 4 of his application

Mr. A, from Cameroon, was denied because he had trouble answering these questions from the Asylum Officer:
-you were a student in the DRC from 2008-2012? during those four years, you never returned to your country? YES, except
the real answer is NO?
-I, the asylum Officer, know more about your international travel than you do? That is because I opened and read your passport? you were too busy to do that, before this interview?
-you joined the opposition party in June 2008, but your card says you joined in 2009? why did you voluntarily give me a card with a date on it that contradicts your own testimony? you were too busy to look at the materials you sent to me?
=
-Page 4 of your I-589 says you started working for the X company in January 2011? but, you told me that really you started working there in July? Did you think I would not read page 4? you forgot what you wrote down on page 4?
=
-you say you were an active member of the opposition party? what are the goals of that party? what does it advocate for? does the party want the government to change the rules or laws for certain things? like what? How come you do not know? because you do not really know anything about the party, I think you never were really a member.
=
-you say you were in the hospital from March 12-19th, 2011? However, your supervisor signed an employment contract for you dated March 15th? while you were in the hospital? Isn't this very unusual?

some popular questions from Asylum Officers

1. Does your government want to retaliate against you? why?
2. Did you bring yourself to the attention of your government?
3. Are you aware of any similarly-situated [to you] persons who suffered at the hands of the government?

victim of gang violence in El Salvador

The government lawyer asked:
1] tell me about your immigration history
2] tell me about each member of your family: where she lives, her job, her immigration history; if she is similarly-situated to you, how come she has not suffered any harm?
3] have you ever been arrrested?
4] why do you fear returning to your country?
5] after you suffered harm, did you report it to the police? why not?
6] do you know your exact history, or have you forgotten it?
7] you say the gang was angry at you? you worked in the same office for five years? how come the gang was unable to contact you at your office?
=
8] compare your life now, here in USA, versus your life in your country: did you own your home? own a car? were you able to take vacations?
9] what did your brother tell you about his problems?
10] what did your sister tell you about her problems?
=
11] you had problems in City #1; OK, so why not move, and live in City #2? how would they find you in City #2?
12] why didn't you report your problems to the police?

more questions to the activist from Cameroon

The government lawyer continues with more questions of the activist from Cameroon:

10] what is your ethnic group? what is the ethnic group of Paul Biya?
11] do people believe you are a Bamileke by your last name?
12] at the SCNC meetings you attended, what did they tell you? what are your dues used for?
13] who spoke at your last meeting? what did he talk about?
14] did you telephone anyone, asking them to join or to contribute money to SCNC?
15] did you say something at the last meeting, or did you just sit there in silence?
16] what is the Unrepresented Nations Political Organization?
17] who is Justice Ebong? is he a renegade?
18] do you know anyone who protested here in USA, who then returned to his country, but was NOT arrested?
=
19] I see that Mr. Smith wrote a two-page letter of support for you. did you read it?
did your lawyer read it? do you understand what the Smith letter says?

an activist from Cameroon

The government lawyer asked many questions of the activist from Cameroon:

1] you became politically active only AFTER you were denied asylum by the Asylum Office?
You were not active before? you were not active back in your home country?
2] why did you become a member of the SCNC? What does "SCNC" stand for?
3] how and where did you first learn about it?
=
4]you say you protested in front of the Cameroon Embassy in Wash DC, and that Embassy staff took your photo? so what? you say your photo was then sent back to Cameroon, and that now the government knows you protested here in USA, and that now your government is angry at you? Why do you think that?

5] tell me the name of one person who protested in front of the Cameroon Embassy, who then returned to Cameroon and then was arrested!

6] who is Justice Mbuh? was he arrested in September 2009? why was he arrested?

7] did you really attend SCNC meetings here in USA? what was the address of the meetings? how did you get to the meetings? walk? drive/metro? how long does it take to walk to the metro? how long from the metro to the meeting?

8] do you have any photos of yourself at the meetings? do you have even one letter from a person who saw you at a meeting?

9] did you do "fund raising" here in USA? what does that mean? what did you do?

small inconsistencies? So what? You lose

Mr. M, from the DRC, was denied asylum. The Asylum Officer noted that:
1. How did you find out about the explosion?
Mr. M stated he found out, when he received a fax from his wife.
However, the wife wrote a letter, which said, "I told you about the explosion in a phone call."
Later, Mr. M tried to explain, saying that he did receive a fax from his wife, and that also he talked to wife on the phone; maybe he found out from the fax and also the phone.

2. Mr. M wrote in his application that he attended meetings at a government building.
However, in answer to oral questions, he said he attended meetings at a library, at a home, at a restaurant, and at a university. The Asylum Officer asked him "Why didn't you tell me you attended meetings at a government building?"
Mr. M said he forgot.

3. Mr. M wrote in his declaration that he made several, international, conference phone calls.
However, in answer to oral questions, he said he made just one international conference phone call, and three local conference calls.

[do you think Mr. M made only very small mistakes? Maybe. However, the Asylum Officer wants you to be consistent. Can you repeat what you said in your application, or not? If your brain is small, and you cannot remember very much, then make your application short.]

Also, Mr. M wrote in his application that he "condemned the vicious atrocities committed by the crazy rebels."
Mr. James wrote a letter, with that very same sentence in it.
Ms. Marsha wrote a ltter, with that very same sentence in it.
This irritated the Asylum Officer, who said, "this is evidence of fraud."

West African #4

still more questions from the Asylum Officer:
1] why did the man hurt you in September, and not in December?
2] how did you know that the punching man worked for the government?
3] how is your physical health today?
4] how is your emotional health today? do you continue to have nightmares?
5] when the man punched you, what was he wearing? how did he get to your house?
=
tell me about all of your international travel!
-did any country give you permission to live there?
=
who filled out the application to get the tourist visa?
Do I have a copy right here in front of me?
=
you arrived in USA in July of last year? why not apply for asylum in July or August?
Why did you apply in February of this year? why the delay?

still more questions for West African

still more questions from the Asylum Officer:
1] why did you hurt you in September, and not in December?
2] how did you know that the punching man worked for the government?
3] how is your physical health today?
4] how is your emotional health today? do you continue to have nightmares?
5] when the man punched you, what was he wearing? how did he get to your house?
=
tell me about all of your international travel!
-did any country give you permission to live there?
=
who filled out the application to get the tourist visa?
Do I have a copy right here in front of me?
=
you arrived in USA in July of last year? why not apply for asylum in July or August?
Why did you apply in February of this year? why the delay?

West Africa #3

The Asylum Officer also asked:

1] when did you arrive in USA?
2] what has happened in your country since you departed?
3] Why did Korumah want to hurt you?
4] how many times were you hurt in your country?
5] how many threats did they make?
6] What words did they say, exactly? what language did they speak?
=
7] you were punched in 2009?
8] your son was threatened in 2012?
9] when you were punched, where were you?
[Why do you think the Asylum Officer jumps from 2009 to 2012, and then back to 2012?]
=
Why did Korumah threaten your son?
How did you find that out?

[does the Asylum Officer wonder if your entire story is fake? If so, what kinds of questions would he ask?]

10] when you were punched in 2009, who else was nearby? how come they were not hurt? why were you alone hurt, and no one else?
11] during the time that K was punching you, what did he say? what words, what language?
12] did you see blood anywhere? on your hand? on your shirt? on the floor?
13] why wasn't your sister hurt? [why would the asylum officer ask the same question, 20 minutes apart?]
14 why were you punched?

applicant from West Africa #2

The Asylum Officer asked:
1] why do you want asylum?
2] why was mother killed?
3]how do you know agents of government killed mother?
4] agents came to your house in July 2012? your sister was there? the agents punched you, but not sister? why?
5] how did sister escape without harm?
6] what physical harm did you suffer/
7] did you suffer any economic harm?
8] did you suffer any emotional harm?


when did you apply for a visa?
What questions were on the form you filled out?
What were your answers?
at the interview, what questions did the Embassy lady ask you?
What were your answers?
What documents, such as photos, licenses, bank account statements, did you give to the Embassy lady?
What lies did you tell to the Embassy lady? Why did you lie?
So, you lied to a US government official? I am a government official; are you lying to me?

=
tell me about all of your international travel!
What stamps are in your passport? what does each stamp mean?

questions asked of an applicant from west Africa

The Asylum officer asked:
1] can you repeat what it says on page one of your application? when did you last leave your country?
when did you enter the USA?
2] what is your tribe? what is your religion?
what is the Date of Birth [DOB] of your husband? of child #1? of Child #2?
3] what was your last address in your country/
4] what was the highest education you had?
5] who was your last employer? when did you stop work? when you quit, what did you tell your employer? did you tell employer you were quitting and going to the USA, and maybe never returning to your country?
Who helped you prepare your application?
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did you have any difficulties getting your passport?
did you have any difficulties departing from your country?
You say your government hates you, and is angry at you? Really? if so, how come government gives
you a passport when you ask?
How come government allows you to travel out of the country when you want?
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Were you a member of any groups, or political parties in your country?
Are you a member of any groups, or political parties here in USA?why not?

Asylum officer questions to an African

The Asylum Officer asked:
1] who helped you with your application? did she read it back to you, in your language?
2] why did you obtain your passport?
3] who lives with you, now? who lived with you at Address #2?
4] when did you first feel fear? why didn't you flee immediately?
5] you say that Smith was gay? how did anyone know that fact?
6] were infiltrators/spies/informers [ISI] at the meeting?
7] you believed that one man was an informer, for the government? why did you think that?
8] where did you sleep at night, for each day in December 2012?
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when did you decide to go to USA?
what preparations did you do?
is Form DS-160 an application for a tourist visa?
Does the asylum officer have a copy of it?
You forgot what you wrote down in DS-160? So, the asylum officer knows more than you do, about your application?
What lies did you tell in the DS-160?
During your face-to-face interview at US Embassy, what more lies did you tell?
=
Tell me about your last day in your country. How come you were not arrested at the airport, as you departed?

https://www.dropbox.com/s/5a96nzzxwwd3qju/bia-assess-2_Page_1.jpg?m

bia-assessment

activist from Cameroon loses

The Asylum Officer asked: 1] why did you join the UDC? what was your role? did you hold office? 2] you were arrested, but then your government issued you a passport anyway? Your government is pleased to do favors for you, such as giving you a passport when you ask? 3] you were arrested in Feb. 2008? what did the police ask you, inside the prison? The police asked you to join the ruling party? why? 4] you had big injuries, you went to the hospital, but you have no hospital records? did you even TRY to get hospital records? = = in May 2010, government killed Ngota Ngota? why? what did Ngoto do before he was killed? what did your government believe about Ngota? -tell me about all of your international travel! You were given one-year residency in Cape Verde? why can't you live there forever? = = you were arrested in 2008? why not flee immediately from the dangerous country? Between 2008 and 2010, things got better, or things got worse? why were you inconsistent? they were better in some ways, but worse in other ways? Why was your oral testimony different from your written statement? you forgot what you had written in the statement? you were too busy to read it before your interview? -is there anything else?

activist from Cameroon loses

Mr. Bassenguen, from Cameroon, was denied asylum by the Judge and by the BIA, because: 1]after he was arrested, imprisoned, and released in 2002, he departed from his country, and then, he voluntarily returned! If your country is so dangerous, and your government hates you so much, why did you return there voluntarily? And by the way, upon your return, you were ignored? No one arrested you? They did not care about you? = So, that is what would happen if you return again, tomorrow, wouldn't it? [i.e., no one cares if you return or not? Your government does not care what you do or do not do, correct?] = 2] he testified he was arrested again in 2004. His friend wrote a letter, saying that the arrest was in 2005! Who is the moron, the client or the friend? 3] he testified he was an active member of the SDF here in the USA, and that he attended lots of meetings in the year 2009. He asked Mr. Kuissu to be a witness in court. Mr. Kuissu said that he, Kuissu, was active in SDF meetings in the year 2009, but he never saw Bassenguen at meetings, and he did not believe that Massenguen was a member of SDF. = Who is the moron, Mr. Kuissu, or Bassenguen? What did the Judge think when presented with this spectacle? = What is the moral of the story? 1] if you were arrested in 2004, find a friend who agrees with you about the year. 2] if you think you were active in meetings in the USA, find a friend who agrees with you. If you are a lawyer reading this, what do you learn? 1] some clients are not very smart 2] some clients are too busy to read letters, or talk to witnesses, before coming to court

questions for an activist from Cameroon

The Asylum Officer asked: 1] show me your passport! when was it issued; when does it expire; where and when did you travel? 2] why are you seeking asylum? 3]why did you join your political party? what is its platform? what are its goals? 4] what did you do at meetings, besides just sit in a chair, in silence? a] did you discuss alternatives for time and place of demonstrations? b] did you discuss and debate alternatives for fund-raising methods? = 5] tell me about the last three months you lived in your country. Where did you sleep, and travel, each day and nnight? 6] how did you get your visa? did you tell lies to get it? did you fill out a form, and answer questions in writing? I have a copy of your application for your visa, but you don't? I know more than you do about what happened? = how did you get your passport? how did you get out of your country? how come no one arrested you at the airport as you were leaving? How did you get your F-1 visa? = Is there anything else?

lady from Togo denied asylum

Ms. Djondo, from Togo, was denied asylum because: 1] she said she was in a protest march on February 20, 2005; but really, it was on Feb. 27th. The Department of State said the march was on the 27th; how come Ms. Djondo did not know that? Why did she insist on a particular date? She could have said, "toward the end of February." There is no need to give a particular date. 2] she said she went to the house of her cousin, and then the cousin took her to the hospital. The letter from the cousin did not mention the hospital. 3] she said she was a member of a political party, and that she was harmed, and was hospitalized. The letter from the party said she was a member, but nothing about harm. 4] She had no records from the hospital, and she did not explain what her efforts were, to get records. MORAL OF THE STORY: -avoid particular dates -make sure any letters of support are consistent - try hard to get hospital records