Asylum Asylum case based on religion

[ShadrachBlue]

Hello. I am seeking info on possible asylum case. Friend, age 24, is visiting me in the US on a visa waivor. We had plans to return to Finland to get her Tourist visa until last night after receiving an e-mail from her brother. She is now fearful to return to Finland, as she feels her safety & well-being are in jeopardy. All of her family is in Jehovah's Witness religion/cult, and through a series of events, her brother & parents have taken control of her finances & means of living, and are now using it as a bargaining chip to get her back into the religion. She was disfellowshipped from religion years ago & has avoided it since then. However last night, the brother & family made the threat that when she returns to Finland (mid-Feb) she either returns to live at home & re-joins the religion, or then she will be left desolate and "turned in to the government" under claims that she cannot properly take care of herself, as they are angry that she left the country in the first place. Friend's father is an "elder" in the JW religion and has abused her sexually in the past, as has mother (physically) and both, mentally. JWs are not allowed to seek help outside of the religion, nor is the head of the congregation required to turn in abusers to the police. All such things are handled in secret by the "Organization". She is now terrified to return to her country because of this. So we are now seeking info on the merit of case, costs, probability of outcome, & how to get the process started. There are so many other details to this case, but I want to keep this as short & to the point as possible, though please feel free to ask questions. We appreciate any input. Thank you.

 

[mafioso]

You should consult your local religious or church affiliated charities which help people seeking asylum (they have free lawyers). Start by contacting Catholic Charities………... A lawyer would have to review everything and let you know what documents or evidence would be required to make a good case. If you can hire an immigration lawyer, do that. The whole case would have legal fees of about 4000$ on average. I can't advice you without all the details. Your best bet is to get a lawyer ASAP.

 

[ShadrachBlue]

Some more details.

mafioso,

First let me thank you for your reply and advice. As for more details on the case.. I did not know that churches & such could assist in asylum cases. We actually just joined a church here in FL, however I am unsure if they actually do have lawyers who could help. Another major detail in this mess is that the friend I speak of is transgendered, and here in south Florida, trying to find an unbiased lawyer has proven rather difficult. So while I address her as female for legal points, she identifies as male, uses male pronouns, etc, and will be going through transition as soon as this trouble is straightened out. That is also a big reason why the family is so controlling & wants her back into the religion, as they feel her being out in the "real world" and having contact with us "worldly people" is toxic and dangerous, and have raised her to fear any outside help from police, lawyers, or anyone other than family. The main reasons for this however are A, because she's not in the religion anymore, and the family is as serious about it as individuals can be, they think she has strayed from the "truth" and will stop at nothing to get her back into the religion, which is why they are leaning on B, blackmail; "the minute you set foot back in this country, if you don't come back to this religion, we'll turn you in to the government; you've been depressed & in medical care before, & we have control of all your income/bills, so they will see you're incapable", C, the brother has advised her that they already have an apartment waiting for her, and that when she returns, she must sign the rental papers, and again, if she doesn't, they will "turn her in". This apartment is located WITHIN a Jehovah's Witness community, and is just minutes away from both the brother (lives at home) and the parents. D, the parents are/were both abusive in many ways. She fears them, but because they are "high people" in the religion/cult, ("elders"), they are basically untouchable, and that has been made clear to her. JW cases of abuse get handled by the elders of the congregation. Her father is one of the elders. The abuse proceedings are handled privately within the religion, and even if they had found him guilty of such abuse, they do not turn him into police -- only ask him to relocate to a new region of the country. As a child when this abuse was carried out, they were asked to move 3 or more times. And her last accusation of abuse just fell on deaf ears, got brushed off, and only led to her being put into more of a stranglehold by the brother, who was/is the main controller with the income. When they don't like something she does, they cinch the money off even more. The very latest was $40 per week, and that stopped all together when she came to the US. Between her not re-joining the religion, her seeking physical medical correction, and her trip to the States (paid for by me), that is what has caused this whole situation to erupt. As I stated before, we had plans to do things the "long way".. return to Finland, get her visa so she could return here for the medical treatment (as she's already working with a therapist/medical center in NY), and then pursue residency options at that later time. But now due to the urgency of this matter, we're seeking legal help.

I did consult with an immigration attorney earlier this morning who seemed to think the asylum case had merit, however he said it would cost $5000 just to file the first set of papers. I will be selling some assets to pay for this procedure, but at the same time this is going on, I'm also in the midst of other personal troubles myself, so honestly money is a factor. Therefore I'm concerned about how much of a "sure thing" an asylum case would be. The last thing I want to happen is we spend the money to give it a go, it gets denied, and then her chances are ruined to ever return to the States. She is on a visa waivor right now, and an asylum case would mean overstaying. My fear is that filing the case & having things go wrong will do more harm than good in the long run. My parents are divorcing, so I'm familiar with the financial drain that goes on when a legal case isn't the "slam dunk" the lawyer planned on, & it drags on at a higher & higher cost.

I hope I've been able to fill in some of the blanks for you. Any further suggestions or guidance you could offer would be very much appreciated. Thank you again!

 

[mafioso]

I would post your reply later today Saturday........Keyboard problem.

 

[mafioso]

Five thousand dollars is too much. Lawyers charge depending on their reputations, locations, and many factors. I would feel you could find still find a good lawyer for even 3000$. I don't think you should pay more……..Many people can file the papers and defend themselves. I would not advice if you are not savvy with the law. Know that most lawyers would say you have a merit and can win………they tend to focus on just the money. So don't get carried away by what he said. You lawyer only gives legal advice and would not be the one answering questions during the asylum interview. They are just there to make sure your rights are not violated and to let you know what is best and how to act……… I said some Catholic charities can help………Many help in asylum…….You have to goggle in your county and see which ones are available. They give free lawyers. There are many local organizations which help not just church related ones. Check with any refugee or asylum organizations in your area. Use google to help or call around, or yellow pages……..