No Time to Lose: Uyghurs Stuck in the United States Asylum System
Topics:
Keywords: Forced Migration, Asylum in the US, Uyghurs
Abstract Type: Paper Abstract
Authors:
Henryk Szadziewski, University of Hawaii and Uyghur Human Rights Project
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Abstract
There are an estimated 800 Uyghurs stuck in the United States asylum system. The Uyghurs describe wait times ranging from eight to two years for asylum interviews, decisions, and court dates. Changes to the asylum system implemented in 2020 are the cause of the delays. The new measures took a “last in, first out” approach to clearing caseloads putting those Uyghurs already waiting for adjudication to the back of line. This paper not only highlights long waits, but also their impact on asylum seekers. The primary stresses are finances and health. The paper is based on semi-structured interviews with Uyghur asylum seekers in the United States who described difficulty in meeting the threshold of a dignified life for themselves and their families. Low incomes, restricted employment opportunities, and bureaucratic delays in work authorization contributed to economic hardships. Further, being stuck in the asylum system had significant impacts on physical and mental health. Uyghurs linked waiting for decisions on their asylum cases to depression, forgetfulness, and sleeplessness. The Uyghur experience is compounded by differentiating factors, such as the inability to communicate with family members in Xinjiang; nevertheless, the financial hardships and emotional stresses described here are felt across other persecuted communities. Based on the research, the paper argues that the welfare of asylum seekers is secondary to political influence in the system. Without an enforced period mandating the resolution of asylum cases, the United States asylum system merely amounts to a re-traumatizing experience for vulnerable individuals.
No Time to Lose: Uyghurs Stuck in the United States Asylum System
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Paper Abstract