Protection from Persecution – Political Asylum (Immigration)

Defining Asylum
Asylum is a form of sanctuary for a person fleeing persecution in a country where there is little or no protection. Under the 1951 Geneva Convention, the person must be unable or unwilling to return to their country of origin due to a well-founded fear of persecution in accordance with their race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group and political opinion.

The Facts: Number of Asylum Applicants by Country

The United States has been the single recipient of new claims by asylum seekers of all nationalities. In the first six months of 2008, an estimated 25,400 individuals submitted asylum applications
Canada ranks as the second country of destination with 16,800 applications by asylum seekers from January – June 2008
The number of asylum claims have been rising; there has been a nine percent rise from 2006 to 2007
Major source countries of asylum-seekers include: Mali, Zimbabwe, Iraq, Myanmar, Mexico, Guatemala

HOW YOU CAN HELP THE IMMIGRANT POPULATION:
Volunteer as an ESL literacy tutor
LU Contact: Sylwia Matlosz, sylwia.m.matlosz@lawrence.edu
Occasionally, the Salvation Army needs volunteers who speak Spanish or Hmong