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?
Thursday, October 31, 2013
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?
-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?
-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?
Friday, October 18, 2013
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?"
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?"
Thursday, October 17, 2013
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?
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?
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?
-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?
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