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?
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-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?
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-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.
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-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?
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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?
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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?
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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?
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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?