Abuse of asylum could hurt the truly persecuted
Several years ago a friend, her husband and their two children fled Pakistan. Like other Pakistani Christians, they did not proselytize; it’s illegal. But when their Muslim friend converted on his own to Christianity, they were held responsible. The convert’s family insisted he return to his former religion and demanded the Christian couple convert to Islam, as well, if they wanted to stay alive. The family beat up my friend’s husband, shot up their car and threatened to kidnap their children, to make sure the message was received. It became clear that if they didn’t leave Pakistan, they would die there before long.
Coming to America wasn’t easy. The couple left good jobs, family, friends and the home they loved behind. My friend, who requested her name not be used because her family’s asylum case is pending, was seven months pregnant. She told me, “Not a day went by I wasn’t crying.” They didn’t come to America wanting a new life; they came to America wanting to live. The U.S. refugee and asylee resettlement program exists for people in dire circumstances like this.
Unfortunately, this program is being misused by those who are not fleeing persecution. The abuse is straining the system and could result in a loss of public support for a program that is a vital lifeline for people escaping persecution.
According to the U.S. State Department, an asylee is “An alien in the United States or at a port of entry who is found to be unable or unwilling to return to his or her country of nationality, or to seek the protection of that country because of persecution or a wellfounded fear of persecution… based on the alien’s race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group, or political opinion.” Refugees are fleeing for similar reasons but are granted protection prior to relocating. Since 1975, the United States has taken in 3.3 million refugees. Our state has taken in an average of 1,650 refugees every year since 1980.
Accepting asylees and refugees is compassionate and required under international treaty. Moreover, their contribution to the United States outweighs initial resettlement costs. Refugees also benefit their former countries. According to the Brookings Institution, “For developing countries overcoming conflict, the flow of investment could be crucial for recovery. In addition to these business networks, the refugees can play a significant role in transferring technologies and knowledge back home, which translates into more competitive and diversified economies.”
These benefits, however, are at risk when people who are not escaping persecution enter the country as asylum seekers. Some migrants to the U.S. southern border left their Central American countries because they have been targeted by gangs. However, once they pass into Mexico they are no longer under that threat of violence. Mexico has an asylum program and according to the 1967 Protocol Relating to the Status of Refugees, countries must accept individuals “coming directly from a territory where their life or freedom was threatened.” Central Americans in Mexico have found safe harbor.
Other individuals in the caravans of migrants are not fleeing persecution at all; they are looking for jobs. That’s understandable but it’s not the same as fleeing at the point of a gun. There are
U.S. immigration programs for foreign job seek ers and no one is entitled to a job in another country.
The influx of economic migrants attempting to enter the United States as asylees has overwhelmed the asylum system. According to the State Department, the backlog of asylum cases increased from 15,000 at the end of fiscal year 2012 to more than 300,000 this fiscal year.
Abuse of government programs erodes their support among the voting public. If the election of President Donald Trump and the unfortunate reduction in the number of refugees during his tenure in office are any indication, that support has already eroded. For the sake of those fleeing religious, ethnic, racial and political persecution, something must be done to deter the abuse of the asylum system.