asylum, right of

Explains how the system of asylum adjudication has developed in the United States over the last twenty years and discusses how the process affects the experiences of immigrants in America.

Regina Bakala escaped a Congo ruled by chaos and violence and settled in the United States. She worked with an immigration lawyer and then reunited with her husband who was also a Congolese torture survivor. They had two children and Regina was happy and full of hope. Then one night there was a knock on the door and immigration agents took Regina to prison so she could await her eventual deportation back to the Congo and certain death.

Examines the rights, treatment, and experiences of refugees and asylum seekers around the world, discussing international law and reasons people are forced to move, such as war and religious, racial, ethnic, and political persecution, and presents five case studies, statistics, a time line, and a refugees map.