a "typical" client
What is the "average" client (applying for asylum) like in the survivors of torture program?
I am usually in my twenties, sometimes a little younger, once in awhile a little older. Often, I come from Chad, or maybe Congo, or Kenya or a number of other places. Often, I'm Muslim; often I'm Christian. Typically, I'm male.
My story may be incredibly tragic. I might have lost my entire family. My world may have been turned upside down. I may have suffered unjust imprisonment, torture, rape or femal genital mutilation...because of my tribe, because of my religion, because I spoke out against the government, because of some obscure family relation I have to someone who was in power at one time. My spouse, parents or children may still be under threat in my home country, while I am here...waiting.
Or it may just be that I felt severely threatened by people or war in my country and I fled while I could. I got a student or tourist visa, sometimes at great cost or deception, and got out of there. I may not be able to prove that those threats were tangible however; or that I would still be under threat if I go back to my country. I may not have a good case...
I may live in Jersey City, Bayonne, Montclair, Paterson, Union City or Brooklyn. I may be living with 5 other people in one appartment, or relying on a friend from my country to pay some of my rent and give me food. I don't have the money to pay for anything like medical bills. I only receive Charity Care if I have to go to the ER, which scares me. But you can be sure that I almost always have a cell phone. I want to be able to have some sort of life here you know? And even though I'll accept a donated coat, I don't want to look like a refuge.
When you talk to me about my story, it may be hard to get anything out of me.
Rarely, I'll gush my story. Once in a while, it's hard to tell whether or not I'm making things up. Much more often though, there's a whole lot that happened to me that I can't bring myself to articulate. Typically, my roommates that I live with from my same country don't even know my story. We don't really talk that much...or trust each other.
You might see me sometime. In some instances, I attend english as a second language classes at a local community college to try to better myself for the future. More likely, I'm working 6 days a week for 12 hours a day, making 5 dollars an hour under the table. I may be your cashier, washing the dishes at the restaurant you ate at, or pumping your gas.
What do you think of me?
I am usually in my twenties, sometimes a little younger, once in awhile a little older. Often, I come from Chad, or maybe Congo, or Kenya or a number of other places. Often, I'm Muslim; often I'm Christian. Typically, I'm male.
My story may be incredibly tragic. I might have lost my entire family. My world may have been turned upside down. I may have suffered unjust imprisonment, torture, rape or femal genital mutilation...because of my tribe, because of my religion, because I spoke out against the government, because of some obscure family relation I have to someone who was in power at one time. My spouse, parents or children may still be under threat in my home country, while I am here...waiting.
Or it may just be that I felt severely threatened by people or war in my country and I fled while I could. I got a student or tourist visa, sometimes at great cost or deception, and got out of there. I may not be able to prove that those threats were tangible however; or that I would still be under threat if I go back to my country. I may not have a good case...
I may live in Jersey City, Bayonne, Montclair, Paterson, Union City or Brooklyn. I may be living with 5 other people in one appartment, or relying on a friend from my country to pay some of my rent and give me food. I don't have the money to pay for anything like medical bills. I only receive Charity Care if I have to go to the ER, which scares me. But you can be sure that I almost always have a cell phone. I want to be able to have some sort of life here you know? And even though I'll accept a donated coat, I don't want to look like a refuge.
When you talk to me about my story, it may be hard to get anything out of me.
Rarely, I'll gush my story. Once in a while, it's hard to tell whether or not I'm making things up. Much more often though, there's a whole lot that happened to me that I can't bring myself to articulate. Typically, my roommates that I live with from my same country don't even know my story. We don't really talk that much...or trust each other.
You might see me sometime. In some instances, I attend english as a second language classes at a local community college to try to better myself for the future. More likely, I'm working 6 days a week for 12 hours a day, making 5 dollars an hour under the table. I may be your cashier, washing the dishes at the restaurant you ate at, or pumping your gas.
What do you think of me?
posted by jdances | 30.11.06
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