Asylum in the United States

rdf:langString Asylum in the United States

rdf:langString The United States recognizes the right of asylum for refugees as specified by international and federal law. A specified number of legally defined refugees who are granted refugee status outside the United States are annually admitted under 8 U.S.C. § 1157 for firm resettlement. Other people enter the United States as aliens either lawfully or unlawfully and apply for asylum under section 1158. Asylum in the United States has three basic requirements. First, asylum applicants must not be convicted of a particularly serious crime or an aggravated felony. Second, they must show a well-founded fear of persecution in their country of nationality and permanent residency. Third, asylum applicants must prove that they would be persecuted on account of at least one of five protected grounds: race, religion, nationality, political opinion, or particular social group. Majority of asylum claims in the United States fail or are rejected. One third of asylum seekers go to courts unrepresented although those with legal representation have higher chances of winning. In 2015, the world saw the greatest displacement of people since World War II, with 65.3 million people having to flee their homes. The Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration (PRM), among other things, collects large amount of funds and then distribute it to refugee admission programs involved in relocating refugees into communities across the country. More than three million refugees from various countries around the world have been admitted to the United States since 1980. From 2005 to 2007, approximately 40,000 refugees were accepted per year, comprising about one-tenth of total immigration. In terms of per capita refugee admissions, it ranked 28 of 43 industrialized countries reviewed by UNHCR from 2010 to 2014. Comprising about 25% of the OECD's population, the U.S. accounted for about 10% of all refugee acceptances in the OECD from 1998 to 2007.