What is persecution?
Persecution means to harass, punish, injure, oppress, or otherwise cause someone to suffer physical or psychological harm. U.S. immigration law does not list specific examples of the kinds of persecution that would qualify someone for asylum or refugee status. However, from the law that has been developed through court cases, we know that it can include such acts as threats, violence, torture, inappropriate imprisonment, or denial of basic human rights or freedoms. Historically, the need for asylum or refugee status has been recognized in situations where a foreign government: • imprisons and tortures political dissidents • fires on protesters • commits genocide against a certain race, or • makes sure that members of a certain religion are left out of the political process. Even if the foreign government stands by while someone else commits acts of persecution — for example, if the authorities are unwilling or unable to exercise control while members of a vigilante squad gang up on ga
