Court of Appeals: Are pretty, single, Albanian women persecuted?

And, should they then be granted asylum in the US?

Immigration lawyers have been working overtime to expand the definition of “asylum.”  Earlier this month we told you about expanding the definition to include women who were the victims of domestic violence anywhere in the world, now its pretty women!

Here is the story from Seattle PI:

NEW YORK (AP) — They were two young women living alone and in fear in Albania, where they say they were ripe targets for sex traffickers notorious for kidnapping their victims and forcing them into prostitution in other countries.

Both fled to the United States, and now appeals courts in Chicago and New York are confronting a vexing question about their fate: Should their claim that all young single women living alone in Albania face persecution qualify them for asylum?

So far their answer is no.

But, the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals is considering one of the cases.

To win asylum in the United States, someone who has fled another country must establish a well-founded fear of persecution based on religion, race, nationality, political opinion or membership in a particular social group. Appropriately defining a social group is where the Albanian women have fallen short in the courts’ eyes.

[…..]

Although fewer than 10,000 asylum applications were granted from 1990 through 1993, they have ranged between 20,000 and 30,000 in the last decade, with about 25,000 being granted in 2011. The number of Albanian applicants granted asylum has fallen from 894 in 2002 to 156 in 2012.

By the way, a large number of asylum seekers actually come into the US illegally (as one woman cited in this story did) or overstay a visa and then come up with some reason to ask for asylum.   An abundant supply of US immigration lawyers are waiting to help them with their claims.

Once granted asylum, these new immigrants get all the benefits (welfare goodies) available to refugees.