A recent has event has come up within the realm of refugees and asylum seekers, a field that is arguably linked to poverty work in many ways, which I think is really interesting. This story has the potential to shape the way Americans view refugee law and set a new precedent to the granting of asylum in the future.
A German family, having moved to the United States in 2008, is seeking to gain asylum status in the United States and avoid deportation back to Germany. The family claims that they have been discriminated against as a social group in Germany because they have home-schooled their children. The family claims that education and the right to educate one's own children is a fundamental human right and claim the law against home-schooling in the country is a violation of international human rights. If the family returns to Germany, the parents face possible incarceration and loss of custody of their children.
In the most recent ruling, a judge decided asylum would not be granted because home-schoolers do not constitute a "social group." The family has been applying to appeal this decision. Although events in the US and Germany do not directly concern developing nations, there are many implications for impoverished communities worldwide. Suppose asylum were granted to the family. Would this lower the bar for other asylum seekers from developing countries attempting to enter the United States for more legitimate reasons (under the assumption that persecution of home schooling is not a legitimate reason)? J. Thomas Ordóñez describes many of the difficulties such individuals face in an article we read earlier this semester. Assuming the US grants the German family asylum but does not begin admitting a larger number of asylum seekers, would this imply a sort of systemic racism when it comes to the granting of asylum? And does such a thing already exist in US policies? I'm curious to hear the thoughts of others on this. Immigration and the status of refugees is a very important and contentious issue that deserves more discussion.
http://abcnews.go.com/US/home-schooling-german-family-fights-deportation/story?id=18842383#.UYGvS6KORMh
A German family, having moved to the United States in 2008, is seeking to gain asylum status in the United States and avoid deportation back to Germany. The family claims that they have been discriminated against as a social group in Germany because they have home-schooled their children. The family claims that education and the right to educate one's own children is a fundamental human right and claim the law against home-schooling in the country is a violation of international human rights. If the family returns to Germany, the parents face possible incarceration and loss of custody of their children.
In the most recent ruling, a judge decided asylum would not be granted because home-schoolers do not constitute a "social group." The family has been applying to appeal this decision. Although events in the US and Germany do not directly concern developing nations, there are many implications for impoverished communities worldwide. Suppose asylum were granted to the family. Would this lower the bar for other asylum seekers from developing countries attempting to enter the United States for more legitimate reasons (under the assumption that persecution of home schooling is not a legitimate reason)? J. Thomas Ordóñez describes many of the difficulties such individuals face in an article we read earlier this semester. Assuming the US grants the German family asylum but does not begin admitting a larger number of asylum seekers, would this imply a sort of systemic racism when it comes to the granting of asylum? And does such a thing already exist in US policies? I'm curious to hear the thoughts of others on this. Immigration and the status of refugees is a very important and contentious issue that deserves more discussion.
http://abcnews.go.com/US/home-schooling-german-family-fights-deportation/story?id=18842383#.UYGvS6KORMh
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