Monday, June 11, attorney General Jeff sessions said that the fear of domestic violence is not a legitimate basis for asylum.
Sessions reversed the decision of the court of appeal granted asylum to a woman from El Salvador who was mistreated and abused by her husband. The court’s decision also cancels previously approved cases with similar situations.
The case of the immigrant from El Salvador known as Matter of A-B-. In December 2016 the Board of Appeals on immigration found that the woman refers to the «particular social group», by definition, the US immigration service. This became the basis for eligibility for asylum, because in El Salvador, women often are not able to avoid family violence, and the government cannot provide them protection.
Sessions believes that the «average» refugee leaves his country because of the persecution of the government. «A refugee may suffer from threats and violence in another country for a number of reasons related to social, economic, family or other personal circumstances. However, the law on asylum does not provide assistance to all victims.»
In his speech Monday sessions accused the administration of President Barack Obama in the provision of asylum to anyone who arrives illegally in the United States and declares that he is afraid to go back. He also said that he was preparing a decision on the restoration of the asylum procedure and the return to traditional principles of immigration law of the United States.
We have previously written about how and who can obtain the status of political refugee.
