WAR: Iraqi Girl Seeks Political Asylum

A 15 year old Iraqi girl and her mother who came to the USA for medical treatment not available in Iraq, are requesting political asylum to remain in the USA. Per their lawyer, the mother and child state that they will face persecution in Iraq for their dealings with the USA military. Relatives of the girl and her mother, still in Iraq have been shot and one member of the family killed. Insurgents and pro-Saddam supporters have been harrassing the family and have even tagged their house with graffitti.


It is quite understandable why the family would want political assylum, and in this situation i feel it should be granted. However, the problem arises when Iraqis currently living in the USA and elsewhere also begin to file similiar petitions. What's the point of freeing Iraq, if now your borders must be completely open to them? The outcome of the petition should be quite interesting for all parties involved.


[edit on 7-29-2004 by worldwatcher]

I dont think that is a valid cause for political asylum, they are being persecuted for political reasons but not by the iraqi government.

Just because they aren't being persecuted by the puppet government we set up in Iraq, doesn't mean they are not being persecuted by the people in charge. The pro-Saddam Iraqis still have alot of power in some parts of Iraq, and thats not likely to change any time soon.

If more Iraqis seeking asylum do start to be let in, its going to be a real test on the Homeland Security department.

[edit on 7/29/04 by xenophanes85]

Asylum is for political persecution and this case is more of terrorist that political if every person in the world comes into US for asylum from terrorist we will be in deep trouble because right now terrorist are everywhere, I will say no to the girl and mother, but what can we said after all US were to deliver freedom from sadam persecution and now most Iraqis are been persecuted for agreeing with freedom.

I really don't know what to make of the Iraqi mess anymore.

I would say that this is a situation for Allawi to take care of. Grant them asylum and the insurgents will have won another round; it is almost equivalent to the kidnapping/beheading coercion tactics.

Let them emigrate via the normal process if that is what they want.

Their lives are in danger and even though it is not persecution from the government it is persecution from an organized regime from the old government, bottom line is no matter who is intending to kill them they will be just as dead. Their relatives are already being murdered all because she asked for help from the Americans, I think it is political.

If they are persecuted by terrorists then thats not a reason to ask for political asylum. Thats like a Irish girl asking fot political asylum in the USA for being persecuted by the IRA, but maybe something like that allready happened.

This is a tuff one.

Whatever happened to "Give us you poor, your tired, your...."

The answer: terrorism.

I would hate to be the one making that descision.

My grandparents came from Canada on one side, Ireland on the other.

We are recent immigrants I guess.

Reasons for political asylum:

Asylum may be granted to people who are already in the United States and are unable or unwilling to return their home country because of persecution or a well-founded fear of persecution on account of race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group, or political opinion.

It would appear under this standard that she may qualify for relief since no where does it say that persecution must come from the current government.

Political Asylum Faq