Venezuelans Seek Asylum in the US
Venezuela is now among the top nations of origin for asylum applicants to the U.S., accounting for 10,221 applications filed between October 2015 and June 2016 – up from 3,810 filed during the same time period the year before.
My first reaction was to question how likely it was that asylum would be granted. I've testified in asylum cases and "well-founded fear of persecution" is a high bar. It's not just about country conditions, no matter how awful they might be. But because the U.S. immigration courts are so horribly clogged, we just don't know--the article notes that some Venezuela cases have been sitting since 2011.
Regardless, right now more Venezuelans are seeking asylum than any other country except China and Mexico. The signs of political and economic collapse are just everywhere.
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