What Are African Asylum Seekers Subjected To?

 Posted on December 17, 2020 in Immigration

The US State Department published reports on the human rights violations carried out by Cameroonian government officials. These violations include torture and the ongoing persecution of women and people identifying within the LGBTQ community. Cameroon is currently in a civil war and presents a harrowing reality for those forced to return. These events and the continual unrest have led many to flee to the US and other countries to seek asylum.

Documenting the alleged abuse

Unfortunately, a report from the Southern Poverty Law Center (SLPC) in conjunction with Freedom for Immigrants documented the claims of abuse and coercion endured by those detained while attempting to seek asylum. The alleged abuse occurred at the hands of corrections officers and ICE officers at various detainment facilities. The asylum seekers from Cameroon were forced to sign documents under duress and threatened with abuse and lengthy detainment while housed amongst federal prisoners.

Asylum seekers deserve protection under the law

The people included in the report were seeking asylum and face dangerous repercussions if sent to Cameroon. One of the refugees reported a physical attack after being refused an attorney. Detainees also reported being forcibly stripped and enduring multiple threats with many witnesses present. Between 2010 and 2019, around three-quarters of asylum seekers from Cameroon were granted asylum.

Cameroon is currently in a civil war and presents a harrowing reality for those forced to return. Here are the criteria that asylum seekers must meet:

• Those seeking asylum must classify as refugees.
• Those who were subjected to persecution in the country they’re fleeing, as well as the apparent threat of future persecution, may be enough to establish an asylum case.
• Persecution has to be based on religion, race, nationality, personal politics or being part of a particular social group.

The tricky part of an asylum case is proving that the persecution a person endured occurred because of one of these criteria. If a loved one is currently under detention while they await an asylum hearing, you need to explore all of the legal options for protected their health and security.