What reasons may asylum be granted for?

Refugees living in Louisiana may seek asylum for various reasons, including yourself. Whether you left your country of origin for fear of harm or even death, you will need to know the valid reasons that asylum is granted for.

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services states that seeking protection from prosecution is the primary motive behind those who flee to another country and seek asylum. You may be prosecuted for a number of different reasons, including:

• Nationality
• Religion
• Social group membership
• Race

Generally speaking, when one country begins to have issues where a specific group is being hunted down, harmed, or banned from doing things or going places, that’s when people begin to seek safety in other countries.

Views on certain hot button issues like politics can also factor in. For example, in countries with strong dictatorships such as North Korea, refugees who flee from the country will seek asylum elsewhere. The same goes for those in issues of high conflict in the Middle East currently. In situations like this, being sent back to your country can mean certain death, which makes seeking asylum a very tense procedure for many.

Fortunately, if you win asylum, you may be able to use your years in the U.S. toward your application for naturalization. The years you stayed in the country leading up to your acceptance as an official asylee may be counted as permanent residency, and thus be counted toward the 5 years you need to apply for U.S. citizenship.

This can be a tricky and difficult road. However, for many refugees, it is the ultimate hope for escaping from an unfair and dangerous country.