OPPRESSION OF THE ALREADY OPPRESSED

THE Trump administration seems to confuse asylum-seekers with undocumented immigrants. People seeking asylum are nearly always fleeing serious danger, after having suffered deep personal tragedy and persecution.

The Department of Homeland Security has decided it needs to deter asylum-seekers by setting an example for those already here. One of the tactics is to yank children from their parents, as if to tell others: try it and your children could be taken away.

The asylum system functions according to US treaty obligations under international law. Sovereign nations have a right to protect their borders from illegal entry, but they have a legal duty to provide shelter to refugees, including asylum-seekers.

The worst possible outcome in persecution cases is for the US government to order that person’s deportation to her or his country of origin. By forcibly detaining asylumseekers in prison-like conditions and separating them from their children, the Trump administration is signalling its intention to send a harsh “don’t come here” message.

Asylum-seekers deserve a chance to prove their case without being punished for it.

E PEEK

Durban