People seeking asylum are a diverse group of displaced people from around the world. They are mainly fleeing harm caused by war, disaster, and weak rule of law. Their claims are assessed based on five protected grounds: past persecution or a well-founded fear of future persecution related to one of the following categories.
Those who have credible fears and meet the definition of a refugee are granted asylum status. This status provides protection from deportation, a path to permanent residency (after 1 year), the right to work and bring eligible family members with them. It also entitles them to access public services including health and education.
Asylum seekers can be of any age, gender or socio-economic status. They are primarily from regions of the world facing conflict and disaster, such as the Americas, China, Colombia, Eritrea, Iran, Russia, Sudan and Ukraine.
They have the opportunity to present their claims in a legal setting with government-appointed attorneys, which increases their chances of success. They are able to submit evidence such as personal affidavits, witness statements, country condition reports, medical records, police reports and news articles. Evidence from experts, such as scholars or human rights organizations can strengthen a claim.
People who are not able to prove a credible fear of persecution or are deemed to pose a threat to the United States are barred from receiving asylum. They can, however, apply for backstop forms of protection such as withholding of removal or relief under the Convention Against Torture.
