The Asylum Officer asked:
Where is a complete copy of every page of your passport [even the blank pages]?
How many other passports have you been issued? where is each passport, today? in whose possession?
=
Tell me about all of your international travel: where did you go, and why?
How long did you stay? what was your immigration status in each country?
Tell me about each Embassy of the USA that you visited: what did you apply for? what did you say? was your visa rejected?
-do I, the Asylum Officer, have right here in my hand a copy of your visa application from five years ago? did you tell lies to get your visa? why?
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You were a member of a political party? where is your membership card?
What does your card say? when was it issued? when does it expire?
Why are there blanks and missing info on your card?
are the dates on the card accurate?
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
questions asked of an activist from Congo-Kinshasa
The Asylum Officer asked:
What is your name? according to passport, what is your name? according to your visa? according to your I.D.?
-can you repeat page 1 of form I-589 without looking at it? OK, go ahead!
Where does each member of your family live, right now? what is each person doing?
What was the job of your father?
what was your job in your country?
Can you repeat page 4 of your application?
does page 4 ask about your employment history?
can you repeat page 4?
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Why are you applying for asylum today?
Why can't you return to your country?
Why does government want to harm you?
Did you have any problems in your country?
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You say that you were arrested at your house in July 2009?
what did the soldiers say at that time?
What language did they speak?
Who else was inside the house at the time?
Why were you arrested in July 2009?
What happened before, to make the government angry at you?
=
Mr. Smith told you that the government was looking for you?
How did he know that?
during the last two months that you lived in your country, where did you live each day and each night? What does it say on page 4 of your I-589?
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In January 2011, what did the guard say? what language did he speak in?
PASSPORT
Let's talk about your passport. When was it issued? how did you get it? did you walk into the government office and the man handed it to your hand? or did someone else go in and get it? or, did the government mail it to you?
=as you left your country, were there any problems at the airport?
who paid for your airplane ticket?
What would happen if you return to your country today?
why would your government want to harm you, today? They forgot about you, didn't they?
When was the last time you talked to a member of your family? what did he say?
Is there anything else? yes? what?
Is there anything else?
What is your name? according to passport, what is your name? according to your visa? according to your I.D.?
-can you repeat page 1 of form I-589 without looking at it? OK, go ahead!
Where does each member of your family live, right now? what is each person doing?
What was the job of your father?
what was your job in your country?
Can you repeat page 4 of your application?
does page 4 ask about your employment history?
can you repeat page 4?
=
Why are you applying for asylum today?
Why can't you return to your country?
Why does government want to harm you?
Did you have any problems in your country?
=
You say that you were arrested at your house in July 2009?
what did the soldiers say at that time?
What language did they speak?
Who else was inside the house at the time?
Why were you arrested in July 2009?
What happened before, to make the government angry at you?
=
Mr. Smith told you that the government was looking for you?
How did he know that?
during the last two months that you lived in your country, where did you live each day and each night? What does it say on page 4 of your I-589?
=
In January 2011, what did the guard say? what language did he speak in?
PASSPORT
Let's talk about your passport. When was it issued? how did you get it? did you walk into the government office and the man handed it to your hand? or did someone else go in and get it? or, did the government mail it to you?
=as you left your country, were there any problems at the airport?
who paid for your airplane ticket?
What would happen if you return to your country today?
why would your government want to harm you, today? They forgot about you, didn't they?
When was the last time you talked to a member of your family? what did he say?
Is there anything else? yes? what?
Is there anything else?
Monday, May 2, 2011
domestic violence victim from Kenya
The Asylum Officer asked:
-show me your passport!
who do you live with, here in USA?
Whqat does your father do for a living?
Why did you come to USA?
What reason did you give to the US Embassy, when you asked for a visa?
You gave the same, or a different reason?
-when did you decided to apply for asylum?
why did you see a therapist for counseling?
where did you meet your husband?
Why did you decide to marry him?
How did you pay for your school?
where did the money come from? from your husband?
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Were you ever harmed by anyone? who? why?
Why did he hit you?
what weapon did he use?
what did he say, as he was hitting you?
How did you get to the hospital?
did a doctor ask you what happened?
what is written down in the hospital report?
why isn't the hospital report accurate?
Whose fault is it, that the hospital report contains errors?
=
at the shopping center, how did he hurt you?
what words did he say?
Where were your children, at that time?
What does your society say, about a husband and wife who have problems?
Your husband lived in the house, and you voluntarily, went inside? why?
Did you try to get a divorce? why not?
Why does he want to kill you?
why does he want to kill his own children?
What was the worst thing he did to you?
is there anything else? yes? what?
=
Did you ever go to the police? what did they say?
When did you decide you would never return to your country?
When was the last time you talked to mother? what did she say?
How often does husband call you here in USA?
=
Is there anything else?
OK, is there anything else?
-show me your passport!
who do you live with, here in USA?
Whqat does your father do for a living?
Why did you come to USA?
What reason did you give to the US Embassy, when you asked for a visa?
You gave the same, or a different reason?
-when did you decided to apply for asylum?
why did you see a therapist for counseling?
where did you meet your husband?
Why did you decide to marry him?
How did you pay for your school?
where did the money come from? from your husband?
=
Were you ever harmed by anyone? who? why?
Why did he hit you?
what weapon did he use?
what did he say, as he was hitting you?
How did you get to the hospital?
did a doctor ask you what happened?
what is written down in the hospital report?
why isn't the hospital report accurate?
Whose fault is it, that the hospital report contains errors?
=
at the shopping center, how did he hurt you?
what words did he say?
Where were your children, at that time?
What does your society say, about a husband and wife who have problems?
Your husband lived in the house, and you voluntarily, went inside? why?
Did you try to get a divorce? why not?
Why does he want to kill you?
why does he want to kill his own children?
What was the worst thing he did to you?
is there anything else? yes? what?
=
Did you ever go to the police? what did they say?
When did you decide you would never return to your country?
When was the last time you talked to mother? what did she say?
How often does husband call you here in USA?
=
Is there anything else?
OK, is there anything else?
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
what makes testimony interesting and compelling?
Witness #1 said, "The police arrested me, and took me to the prison, where they hit me."
Witness #2 said, "I was at home with my mother and children. I heard tires screech outside. I heard footsteps; some men were on our porch. I thought they were criminals. I thought they might hurt my children. But, it was the police. They barged in, shouting. I thought they might cause my elderly mother to have a heart attack. They grabbed me, put me into a smelly blue van, and drove to a prison. One guard, with a fat belly, who looked like a teacher I had in high school, held a big stick. I thought he might kill me. He had bad breath; he hit me suddenly, when I wasn't looking. He hit me on my head, my arms, and on both legs. I saw blood: on my hands, on my shirt, on my legs, and on the floor."
=
Witness #2 is more interesting, yes? He mentions, sounds, emotions, thoughts, and smells.
Witness #2 said, "I was at home with my mother and children. I heard tires screech outside. I heard footsteps; some men were on our porch. I thought they were criminals. I thought they might hurt my children. But, it was the police. They barged in, shouting. I thought they might cause my elderly mother to have a heart attack. They grabbed me, put me into a smelly blue van, and drove to a prison. One guard, with a fat belly, who looked like a teacher I had in high school, held a big stick. I thought he might kill me. He had bad breath; he hit me suddenly, when I wasn't looking. He hit me on my head, my arms, and on both legs. I saw blood: on my hands, on my shirt, on my legs, and on the floor."
=
Witness #2 is more interesting, yes? He mentions, sounds, emotions, thoughts, and smells.
activist from Cameroon #3
More questions:
-how did you find out that the police were coming to arrest you?
How did the police know that a meeting was in progress, at that time?
-when were the photos of your scars taken?
Why were the photos taken?
Who took photos of you at the demonstration?
why did your friend take photos of you? did you send the photos back to your country, to encourage your friends there?
=
how did you get out of prison?
what happened on the day of your release?
How often were you hit in prison?
The guard hit you where? why do you say, "all over your body"? Why can't you say, for example, he hit me on the head, on the back, on my left arm, and on both legs?
=
what did your mother say, when the police came?
Were you afraid the government would arrest you at the airport, before you flew to Paris?
What precautions did you take?
did your brother pay a bribe? how much? who did he pay it to?
Did you have to go through a metal-detection machine, or X-ray machine at the airport?
Did you feel nervous at the airport?
=
what has happened to your group, since you left one year ago?
What are they doing?
does the governemnt care about them?
Why did you send a letter, via certified mail, to your Embassy?
Who sponsored the demonstration in Washington DC in front of the Embassy?
Why have you not joined a political party here in USA?
What was the purpose of the demonstration? what did you hope to accomplish?
On what day did you protest alone in front of your embassy? did anyone notice you?
why did you protest?
did you send protest photos back to Cameroon? why?
What did your friends in Cameroon tell you about the photos you sent them?
Does the government of Cameroon care about its international reputation?
What do you think would happen to you, if you fly back to Cameroon tomorrow?
Why would they arrest you?
Is there anything else? really? what?
OK, is there anything else?
-how did you find out that the police were coming to arrest you?
How did the police know that a meeting was in progress, at that time?
-when were the photos of your scars taken?
Why were the photos taken?
Who took photos of you at the demonstration?
why did your friend take photos of you? did you send the photos back to your country, to encourage your friends there?
=
how did you get out of prison?
what happened on the day of your release?
How often were you hit in prison?
The guard hit you where? why do you say, "all over your body"? Why can't you say, for example, he hit me on the head, on the back, on my left arm, and on both legs?
=
what did your mother say, when the police came?
Were you afraid the government would arrest you at the airport, before you flew to Paris?
What precautions did you take?
did your brother pay a bribe? how much? who did he pay it to?
Did you have to go through a metal-detection machine, or X-ray machine at the airport?
Did you feel nervous at the airport?
=
what has happened to your group, since you left one year ago?
What are they doing?
does the governemnt care about them?
Why did you send a letter, via certified mail, to your Embassy?
Who sponsored the demonstration in Washington DC in front of the Embassy?
Why have you not joined a political party here in USA?
What was the purpose of the demonstration? what did you hope to accomplish?
On what day did you protest alone in front of your embassy? did anyone notice you?
why did you protest?
did you send protest photos back to Cameroon? why?
What did your friends in Cameroon tell you about the photos you sent them?
Does the government of Cameroon care about its international reputation?
What do you think would happen to you, if you fly back to Cameroon tomorrow?
Why would they arrest you?
Is there anything else? really? what?
OK, is there anything else?
activist from Cameroon #2
The Asylum Officer wanted to know:
-did you join any political parties in the USA? why not?
did you join a party in Cameroon?
What was the purpose of that group?
Does the group have more than one purpose?
was your government aware of your group? how do you know?
What did your government think about your group?
How do you know what your government thought?
=
how often did yor group have meetings?
how often did you attend?
what happened during the meetings?
Did you sit on a chair and listen to what other people said?
did you do anything else at the meetings, beside sit and listen?
for example, did you say something?
=
when were you arrested? you say in March 2010? what day in March? was it on a Sunday?
What were you doing at the moment of your arrest? sitting on a chair reading a book? standing on the sidewalk, holding a large sign?
Where did they take you?
what happened at the police station?
Can you repeat the words of the guard? what language did he speak, and what did he say?
What happened after they put you in the cell?
what furniture was in the cell?
how were you supposed to go to the bathroom? in a bucket? latrine?
What words did the guard say? what did you say?
=
what damage was done to you?
did you see blood? where did you see blood?
Today, how do you feel? do you have any problems today, resulting from the beating?
=
how did you join your group? pay some money? fill out an application?
What are the rules for joining? can anyone join?
=
right before your arrest, what thoughts went through your mind?
When you saw the man, what did you think, at first? that he was an ordinary criminal?
Why did the officer arrest you?
why did he slap you?
How did the police find out, about your activities?
Did an informer, spy, or infiltrator tell the police?
-did you join any political parties in the USA? why not?
did you join a party in Cameroon?
What was the purpose of that group?
Does the group have more than one purpose?
was your government aware of your group? how do you know?
What did your government think about your group?
How do you know what your government thought?
=
how often did yor group have meetings?
how often did you attend?
what happened during the meetings?
Did you sit on a chair and listen to what other people said?
did you do anything else at the meetings, beside sit and listen?
for example, did you say something?
=
when were you arrested? you say in March 2010? what day in March? was it on a Sunday?
What were you doing at the moment of your arrest? sitting on a chair reading a book? standing on the sidewalk, holding a large sign?
Where did they take you?
what happened at the police station?
Can you repeat the words of the guard? what language did he speak, and what did he say?
What happened after they put you in the cell?
what furniture was in the cell?
how were you supposed to go to the bathroom? in a bucket? latrine?
What words did the guard say? what did you say?
=
what damage was done to you?
did you see blood? where did you see blood?
Today, how do you feel? do you have any problems today, resulting from the beating?
=
how did you join your group? pay some money? fill out an application?
What are the rules for joining? can anyone join?
=
right before your arrest, what thoughts went through your mind?
When you saw the man, what did you think, at first? that he was an ordinary criminal?
Why did the officer arrest you?
why did he slap you?
How did the police find out, about your activities?
Did an informer, spy, or infiltrator tell the police?
a pro-democracy activist from Cameroon
The Asylum Officer asked:
1] show me your passport! when was it issued, when does it expire, what does each stamp mean?
2] is your interpreter going to translate everything, or just the things he thinks are important?
3] if you say six sentences, can the interpreter translate everything you said? what if you said just two sentences, and then stopped? would that be better?
=
I will ask questions in a random manner; I will not go in a chronological way. If I do that, can you still tell your story?
=
where do you live, here in the USA? who do you live with? Ms. Lucy? how did you find Ms. Lucy? who introduced you to her?
=
when you lived in Yaounde, who else lived in the house?
-have you ever harmed anyone?
-Why did the soldier beat you?
what weapon did he use, and where did he hit you?
What damage was caused, by the hitting?
Are you a member of a tribe? is Mr. Paul Biya a member of a tribe? is that important?
Who works at the Cameroon Embassy in Washington DC? just members of the Beti tribe?
Do any members of the Bamileke tribe work inside the Embassy?
how do you know?
Who demonstrated on the sidewalk outside of the Embassy?
What percent of them were Bamileke?
were there any spies, informers, or infiltrators standing with you?
1] show me your passport! when was it issued, when does it expire, what does each stamp mean?
2] is your interpreter going to translate everything, or just the things he thinks are important?
3] if you say six sentences, can the interpreter translate everything you said? what if you said just two sentences, and then stopped? would that be better?
=
I will ask questions in a random manner; I will not go in a chronological way. If I do that, can you still tell your story?
=
where do you live, here in the USA? who do you live with? Ms. Lucy? how did you find Ms. Lucy? who introduced you to her?
=
when you lived in Yaounde, who else lived in the house?
-have you ever harmed anyone?
-Why did the soldier beat you?
what weapon did he use, and where did he hit you?
What damage was caused, by the hitting?
Are you a member of a tribe? is Mr. Paul Biya a member of a tribe? is that important?
Who works at the Cameroon Embassy in Washington DC? just members of the Beti tribe?
Do any members of the Bamileke tribe work inside the Embassy?
how do you know?
Who demonstrated on the sidewalk outside of the Embassy?
What percent of them were Bamileke?
were there any spies, informers, or infiltrators standing with you?
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