Rwanda #3

The Asylum Officer asked: Why did you depart from your country when you did? Why not depart sooner? why the delay? HOw did you recieve the invitation to come to USA? If you return to your country, what would happen? You had problems in City #1, and in City #2? OK, so what? why not live in city #3? How would the bad guys find you in that city? = In the last two months, who did you talk to, in your country? what did you talk about? = how did you get the death certificate of your mother? throught the mail? did someone hand it to you? How does your therapist help you? why does she tell you to take deep breaths? = is there anything else? OK, thanks; is there anything else? what is your favorite exhibit? is it on page 54? = Tell me all of your international travel! How did you get your passport? how did you get your visa?

Rwanda #2

The Asylum Officer asked: how did you enter USA? what documents did you use? you used a passport and a visa? -where were you, before entering USA? tell me each airport where you stopped: did you get off of the airplane? did you depart from the airport, and then return to the airport? = where do you live, now, in USA? who do you live with? What is a normal day for you, now? you get up, drink coffee, and then what? just sit in house all day and watch television? = how did you meet your lawyer? How did you learn about asylum? when did you decide to apply for asylum? How did you and your lawyer prepare the application? How do you support yourself in USA? you do not work? who pays the rent? = have you talked to anyone, recently, in your country? what did you talk about? what exactly did you talk about? = have you been harmed in the past? When was the last time you were harmed? What was the worst harm you suffered? Why did the man hit you? why did the officer arrest you? After they killed your brother, did you report the crim to the police? what was the conversation at the police station?

an activist from Rwanda

The Asylum Officer asked: 1] how do you know your interpreter? 2] did anyone help you prepare your application? who? how was the application prepared? = 3] tell me all of your international travel: where did you travel, when, and why? Are you a citizen anywhere else in the world? do you have immigration status anywhere in the world? = 4] how did you get your visa to come to USA? what documents were involved? did someone from USA write a letter to Embassy? you showed what documents to Embassy to get your visa? -did someone in your country help you get your visa? To get your visa, did you fill out Form DS-160? Do I have a copy right here in my hand? Does the visa application ask you how long you intended to stay in USA? you lied, or did not lie, to get your visa?

do you have trouble sleeping or eating?

A licensed clinical professional counselor in Maryland interviewed a woman who had witnessed a murder, from ten feet away, and noted that 1] she kept "re-experiencing the event." This meant that when she heard a door slam, it reminded her of how the door slammed five years ago, in the old country, when the bad guys came in. Also, she had trouble falling asleep, and staying asleep. She felt nervous, and had nightmares. 2] the woman wanted to "avoid" the event. She said, "I do not really want to talk about it." 3] physical effects: "I often am not hungry; I do not care about food so much anymore."

pro-American activist

Mr. A was denied asylum, for many reasons; including: A forgot his own work history. He said he worked for X in 1995; later he said he worked for Y from 1994-1996. A said he received a written death threat in January 2011; however, his wife wrote that it was received in May 2011. A was not sure what the motive of the gang was. First, he said the gang wanted money; then he said they were angry because A was pro-American.

activist from the DRC

The Asylum Officer asked: -show me your passport! why did you go to Russia? why did you go to Brazil? What is date of birth of your husband? Date of marriage? date of birth of child #1? Child #2? Child #3? Did you make errors on page 4 of I-589? Yes you did? so, you want me to spend time figuring out your errors, instead of listening to how your suffered real harm? Where did you sleep at night during the past 24 months? where did you work, during each of the past 24 months? = who helped you do your application? Where did you work? in an office? in a tent? you worked for your government? you say your government hates you, and is angry at you? If so, how come the government gives you a job and pay? = where were you, at the moment of your arrest? what did the officer say to you? why were you arrested? = When was the next time you had problems? what did you do, before you were arrested? you say you spoke out, against your government? when? how? who heard you? did the government know that you spoke out? how did they know? = you talked to John? what was the conversation: what did you say, what did he say? Did anyone at your office know that you talked to John? Did that person write a letter of support for you? why not? Did you even ask that person to write a letter? why not? = How were you able to keep your government job, if the government wanted to punish you? Why weren't you arrested at the airport as you were leaving your country? = Where were you, at the moment of your next arrest? what did the soldier say? why were you arrested? = did you go to any political meetings? where were they held? who spoke at the meetings? did you speak? did you say even one word? What did you say? What else did you do? did you distribute tracts? did you ask people to give money? = During the last three months you lived in your country, what did you do all day? Did you go outside? where did you go? How come you were not arrested during those three months? Maybe the government forgot about you, several months ago? When did you decide to come to USA? What did you say to get your visa? what lies did you tell? did you fill out a two-page questionnaire, listing your children, your address, and your job? Does the Asylum Officer have a copy of that application, today? How did you answer the same questions on Form I-589? = You arrived in USA in July 2012? what was your intent, on the day of your arrival? Apply for asylum, or not? Why can't you go back to your country? Did you do anything here in the USA to make your government more angry at you? When was the last time you talked to your husband? Has he had any problems, after your arrival here in USA? Does your husband have a job? what does he do all day? Can the government find your husband, if they want to? The government does not care about your husband or mother? so, why do you think Government cares about you? = Are you able to repeat what you said in your Declaration? why not? did you read it before coming here today? I, the Asylum Officer, know more about your Declaration than you do? do you feel embarrassed about that? does your lawyer feel embarrassed about that? = Does the Asylum Officer think the lawyer is stupid, because he did not force you, his client, to read his own Declaration before the interview? = In your Declaration, you said you were arrested for two reasons? yes? no? yes? OK, so, today, why didn't you tell me the same thing? you forgot what you said in your Declaration? I know more about your Declaration than you do? do you feel embarrassed about that? Is there anything else? yes,? what? Is there anything else?

domestic violence in Sri Lanka

The Asylum Officer asked: 1] show me your passport! give me a complete copy of each page! 2] how many passports have you had, in your life? Give me a copy of each page, of each passport! 2] when did you depart from your country? 3] when did you enter the USA? 4] what other countries have you lived in? what was your status in each country? can you return to that country today? 5] you lived in India from 2005-2007? what was your immigration status there? can you return there today, if you wanted? = 6. Is there an error on page 2 of I-589? 7. Are there two more errors on page 4 of I-589? you were too busy to read over the I-589? You want to start this interview, with me noticing errors made by you? = Why don't you want to return to your country? what would happen if you returned tomorrow? whom do you fear? do you fear your government? do you fear anyone else? = you say your husband punched you? why? Did you ever call the police? the police came to your house? is calling the police a waste of time? a 90% waste of time? Each time your husband hit you, can you tell me the month/year/city? did your husband ever hit your children? ever threaten them? -tell me the first, worst, and last bad thing your husband did to you -for each incident, tell me what weapons he had; tell me what words he said, tell me what part of your body did he hit - for example: He held a large stick. He said, "I will kill you." he hit me on my shoulders, back and butt. = What words did husband say? When he said that, what thoughts went through your mind? [wtwtym?] What kinds of harm did you suffer? physical, mental, and economic? what physical harm did you suffer in 2008? how about today, 2012? does your leg still hurt? Emotional harm? how do you feel today, as a result? anxious?