Our asylum process

Imagine you and your children have been repeatedly attacked because of your race, nationality, religion, ethnicity, or social group.  Really think about it.

You try everything to keep your head down and protect your children, but still there are death threats.  You move to a different part of our country but persecution and danger continues.  What would you do?  Would you try to find safety and opportunity for your family in a different country?

As discussed last week, you can apply to be a refugee while you are in another country.  However, if you are at our border or already in the country then you have an international and national right to apply for asylum.

The asylum process is long and difficult.  Just to start there is a 12 page form to describe the threat faced.  The threat must be based on race, religion, social group, nationality, and ethnicity.

If the threat is based on some other factor it doesn't matter how real or serious you will not be accepted for asylum.

If it is based on one of the factors but you can't persuasively prove a serious threat you will be rejected for asylum.

And of course our government is very concerned with the safety of our citizens and communities so there are background checks, fingerprints, health checks, and other interviews.  Any red flags and too bad so sad.

If all this sounds like a lot of work and a lot of time you are right.  The process that once took a few months now requires years.  These people have to be strong, brave, dedicated, and hard working to be granted asylum.

Past Administration

Our government, we the people, in the previous administration worked very hard to ignore US and international law concerning our responsibilities to give aid and comfort to  desperate and deserving people at our borders.  We placed draconian limits of the number who could apply.  We added tougher rules throughout the last 4 years.  We placed harsh new last minute regulations in the final weeks of December 2020.  We ignored the distress of other human beings, of our brothers and sisters.  We sent many back to their deaths by changing the rules and expediting rejections because of trivial matters.

Despite the huge number of people suffering in countries near our borders we admitted only about 20,500 desperate souls in 2016.  The number was less than 12,000 last year.  We increased the backlog to over a million people.  These people try to follow the rules and wait years to see if their application would be accepted.  Many suffer and some die before we even consider their application.

The backlog might have been even higher but for the deterrent as policy to make parents think twice about seeking safety in a nation created by and for immigrants.  This was our "zero tolerance" policy of separating families, putting children in cages with limited food, water, soap, toothbrushes, and diapers.  We ignored medical conditions and let children die in captivity.  Older kids took care of unrelated babies because the private companies cared more about profits than meeting their responsibilities for human children.  

Those foil things for blankets that children used to try to sleep crowded together on concrete will be an image for the history books as future generations here and abroad study how we treated people that would be illegal if done to cats and dogs.

I know those reading this didn't want such things done in our name.  Many thanks for working to stop the practices.  Still, I'm purposely using "we the people" rather than "the government" to place the burden on us, the citizens.  "The government" is not some external thing in control of our lives.  The government is us and we can change it.  The last free and fair election is a case in point and hopefully not our last one.  We can continue to petition and protest to express how we want are country to act.  I know my representative and Senators don't always seem to listen - but still we can persist.

We have the power to change policies and actions in our government.  It is certainly not easy with all the partisan obstruction, flaws, special interests, and closed door deals. But if we don't make our voices heard we are complicit in our silence. 

Current Administration

It is still early to see how things change in the current administration.  There have been some executive orders revoking the worst policies and plans to enact needed change in congress.  Hopefully we can be good humans and more welcoming, but it will take years to work through the backlog even if the need doesn't grow with the environmental crisis causing social and political conflicts.  

Accepting new people into our country requires agencies, groups, and communities prepared to help with cultural orientation, English lessons, explaining the local bus, finding employment, and much more.  Four years of budget cuts and greatly reduced numbers entering our communities have forced many to cut experienced staff or close doors entirely.  These agencies, groups, and communities need a lot of help to be able to rebuild the systems to welcome and integrate people into our communities.  My work this year is focused on capacity building in this area.

Values to our country

It should be universally accepted that we are all part of the single human family and need to help each other.  Those granted asylum have faced horrors, worked hard, and passed multiple clearances.  These people demonstrate the drive to work and care for themselves and their families to make a new life by becoming part of the local community.  They have a dream to live in a welcoming community where they can contribute to society, making it better for everyone.  That would be great.

Of course, there is a target rich environment for improving our world and local community.  Yes, refugees and asylees contribute greatly to local communities and need our help.  But there are lots of opportunities such as remote tutoring, working with food banks, advocating for social justice and racial equality, restoring the environment, and wherever your passion takes you.  Thanks for your service.

Love always,

John