Asylum seekers have installed see-saw across U.S-Mexico border. Immigrants playful yet serious protests against divide. $2.5 Bn being redirected for the wall at U.S-Mexico border. Over 20,000 immigrants sent back to Mexico this year.

See-Saw Border: Unique way of protest at U.S-Mexico border

Virginia, an 18-year-old from Guatemala who is seeking asylum in the United States, had just one form of identification on her long journey north,&nbsp;her birth certificate.

Now, the teenager waits in a shelter in a Mexican border town while her US&nbsp;asylum case is decided - minus the birth certificate.

Virginia said that when she turned herself in to immigration authorities in El Paso, US&nbsp;officials took the certificate and refused to return it.

“The more I asked the angrier they got,” she said.

Discouraged by the asylum process, Virginia said she is considering abandoning her claim and going home but feels trapped without identification to show authorities along the way. She spoke on the condition that only her first name be published for fear of drawing attention to her situation.

Ciudad Juarez officials and migrant attorneys say many asylum seekers are in a position similar to Virginia`s, left with no identification because US officials confiscated their documents before sending them back to Mexico. Without IDs, they say, it can be hard for migrants to find work in Mexico, receive money from their families or even return home.

An official with the US Department of Homeland Security, who declined to be named, said it has been federal policy since 2015 to return possessions to migrants upon their release from custody – except for documents believed to be fraudulent or altered. The official did not address whether the policy was being followed consistently and declined to comment on specific cases including Virginia`s.&nbsp;

Gil Kerlikowske, who was the commissioner of Customs and Border Protection when the 2015 standards were put in place, said the sheer volume of cases now might explain any departure from the policy. “We thought we’d solved that problem,” said Kerlikowske. “That said, I do understand the overwhelming number of people they are dealing with.”

The return of migrants to Mexico results from a recent Trump administration policy called Migrant Protection Protocols (MPP) that has forced thousands of Central Americans to wait south of the border while their asylum cases are pending. About 3,400 people have been returned to Ciudad Juarez under MPP since March when the MPP program started there.

One Ciudad Juarez official, who directly works with migrants and who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to be interviewed, told Reuters that the majority of those he has encountered were returned to Ciudad Juarez without their identification documents. He said some people lose their documents but others complain they were confiscated in the United States.

Another official, Enrique Valenzuela, general coordinator of the state commission for population, said that returned migrants had been appearing at an immigration office in Ciudad Juarez to ask for help. They reported "that they no longer had their identity documents because they had been taken away," he said.

Valenzuela added that city officials took up the issue with US&nbsp;authorities earlier this month and that the problem seemed to have improved in recent days. He did not provide details of the discussions. DHS declined to comment.

On a recent visit to the city, Reuters found 10 migrants besides Virginia who said US officials took their identification documents and did not return them. Reuters was unable to independently verify their accounts.&nbsp;

US-based immigration lawyers say failing to return documents has been a longstanding problem among migrants released into the United States or deported back to their home countries. But the attorneys say the issue is more worrisome in the context of the MPP program because asylum seekers are waiting in a third country and are more vulnerable to arrest and detention. DHS officials did not comment on the issue.&nbsp;

In one case, according to two Ciudad Juarez officials, a Guatemalan asylum seeker waiting in the city with his young daughter asked a Mexican policeman for help returning to their country.

Rogelio Pinal, director of human rights for Ciudad Juarez, who helped to handle the situation, said the two had to wait in municipal offices for more than five hours because the father was unable to produce documents that would have proved their father-daughter relationship.

The father told the Mexican authorities that her birth certificate remained in the hands of US immigration officials, Pinal and another city official briefed on the matter said.

The pair ultimately were released after confirming their relationship through other means and were transferred to a shelter where they considered their options, Pinal said.

THE LONG WAY HOME

Nancy Oretskin, an immigration attorney in Las Cruces, New Mexico, said one of her clients, a Salvadoran asylum seeker, told an immigration judge during his May 9 hearing in El Paso that he wanted to return home to his 6-month-old son, who was sick. She said the US&nbsp;government attorney assured the court that her client’s ID, which was in the possession of immigration authorities, would be returned at the border. But that did not happen, she said.

According to Oretskin and Ariana Sawyer, a worker with Human Rights Watch, advocates went to the middle of the bridge connecting Juarez and El Paso, Texas, in a last-ditch effort to get his ID back, but US&nbsp;officials refused to speak with them. DHS declined to comment on the case.

In an interview with Reuters, the migrant, Elmer, said he decided his only recourse was to travel 700 miles by bus to the Salvadoran consulate in Monterrey, seeking a replacement ID. Elmer spoke on condition that only his first name be used because he said he feared for his safety in El Salvador.

Even boarding the bus could have been complicated without ID, but Elmer said the driver was sympathetic and offered to help him explain if the vehicle was stopped by authorities.

“Your son is more important,” Elmer recalled the bus driver says.

Elmer returned home last Friday after the consulate issued him a temporary ID and he was able to journey south by hitching rides and taking the bus. He said he was relieved to have made it back safely.&nbsp;

“Without documents," he said of his time in Ciudad Juarez, "I felt as though I was imprisoned.”&nbsp;

Virginia, an 18-year-old from Guatemala who is seeking asylum in the United States, had just one form of identification on her long journey north, her birth certificate.

Virginia, an 18-year-old from Guatemala who is seeking asylum in the United States, had just one form of identification on her long journey north, her birth certificate. Now, the teenager waits in a shelter in a Mexican border town while her US asylum case is decided - minus the birth certificate. Virginia said that when she turned herself in to immigration authorities in El Paso, US officials took the certificate and refused to return it. “The more I asked the angrier they got,” she said. Discouraged by the asylum process, Virginia said she is considering abandoning her claim and going home but feels trapped without identification to show authorities along the way. She spoke on the condition that only her first name be published for fear of drawing attention to her situation. Ciudad Juarez officials and migrant attorneys say many asylum seekers are in a position similar to Virginia`s, left with no identification because US officials confiscated their documents before sending them back to Mexico. Without IDs, they say, it can be hard for migrants to find work in Mexico, receive money from their families or even return home. An official with the US Department of Homeland Security, who declined to be named, said it has been federal policy since 2015 to return possessions to migrants upon their release from custody – except for documents believed to be fraudulent or altered. The official did not address whether the policy was being followed consistently and declined to comment on specific cases including Virginia`s. Gil Kerlikowske, who was the commissioner of Customs and Border Protection when the 2015 standards were put in place, said the sheer volume of cases now might explain any departure from the policy. “We thought we’d solved that problem,” said Kerlikowske. “That said, I do understand the overwhelming number of people they are dealing with.” The return of migrants to Mexico results from a recent Trump administration policy called Migrant Protection Protocols (MPP) that has forced thousands of Central Americans to wait south of the border while their asylum cases are pending. About 3,400 people have been returned to Ciudad Juarez under MPP since March when the MPP program started there. One Ciudad Juarez official, who directly works with migrants and who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to be interviewed, told Reuters that the majority of those he has encountered were returned to Ciudad Juarez without their identification documents. He said some people lose their documents but others complain they were confiscated in the United States. Another official, Enrique Valenzuela, general coordinator of the state commission for population, said that returned migrants had been appearing at an immigration office in Ciudad Juarez to ask for help. They reported "that they no longer had their identity documents because they had been taken away," he said. Valenzuela added that city officials took up the issue with US authorities earlier this month and that the problem seemed to have improved in recent days. He did not provide details of the discussions. DHS declined to comment. On a recent visit to the city, Reuters found 10 migrants besides Virginia who said US officials took their identification documents and did not return them. Reuters was unable to independently verify their accounts. US-based immigration lawyers say failing to return documents has been a longstanding problem among migrants released into the United States or deported back to their home countries. But the attorneys say the issue is more worrisome in the context of the MPP program because asylum seekers are waiting in a third country and are more vulnerable to arrest and detention. DHS officials did not comment on the issue. In one case, according to two Ciudad Juarez officials, a Guatemalan asylum seeker waiting in the city with his young daughter asked a Mexican policeman for help returning to their country. Rogelio Pinal, director of human rights for Ciudad Juarez, who helped to handle the situation, said the two had to wait in municipal offices for more than five hours because the father was unable to produce documents that would have proved their father-daughter relationship. The father told the Mexican authorities that her birth certificate remained in the hands of US immigration officials, Pinal and another city official briefed on the matter said. The pair ultimately were released after confirming their relationship through other means and were transferred to a shelter where they considered their options, Pinal said. THE LONG WAY HOME Nancy Oretskin, an immigration attorney in Las Cruces, New Mexico, said one of her clients, a Salvadoran asylum seeker, told an immigration judge during his May 9 hearing in El Paso that he wanted to return home to his 6-month-old son, who was sick. She said the US government attorney assured the court that her client’s ID, which was in the possession of immigration authorities, would be returned at the border. But that did not happen, she said. According to Oretskin and Ariana Sawyer, a worker with Human Rights Watch, advocates went to the middle of the bridge connecting Juarez and El Paso, Texas, in a last-ditch effort to get his ID back, but US officials refused to speak with them. DHS declined to comment on the case. In an interview with Reuters, the migrant, Elmer, said he decided his only recourse was to travel 700 miles by bus to the Salvadoran consulate in Monterrey, seeking a replacement ID. Elmer spoke on condition that only his first name be used because he said he feared for his safety in El Salvador. Even boarding the bus could have been complicated without ID, but Elmer said the driver was sympathetic and offered to help him explain if the vehicle was stopped by authorities. “Your son is more important,” Elmer recalled the bus driver says. Elmer returned home last Friday after the consulate issued him a temporary ID and he was able to journey south by hitching rides and taking the bus. He said he was relieved to have made it back safely. “Without documents," he said of his time in Ciudad Juarez, "I felt as though I was imprisoned.”

Asylum seekers say US officials returned them to Mexico but kept their IDs

Ecuadoran President Lenin Moreno on Sunday defended his decision to overturn <a href="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.wionews.com/world/julian-assange-to-fight-us-extradition-request-lawyer-209644&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=0ahUKEwjRhYiMn9HhAhX-6XMBHYZ3BvIQFggFMAA&amp;client=internal-uds-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;usg=AOvVaw00M472aQqGuZPH6OXwarqE">Julian Assange</a>'s asylum status, claiming in an interview with the Guardian newspaper that the WikiLeaks founder had tried to set up a "centre for spying" in <a href="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.wionews.com/world/julian-assange-being-spied-upon-at-ecuador-embassy-wikileaks-209435&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=0ahUKEwjRhYiMn9HhAhX-6XMBHYZ3BvIQFggIMAE&amp;client=internal-uds-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;usg=AOvVaw2HaDy3S2x4IaUaaPY5JQ-P">Ecuador</a>'s London embassy.

"It is unfortunate that, from our territory and with the permission of authorities of the previous government, facilities have been provided within the Ecuadoran embassy in London to interfere in processes of other states," Moreno said.

"We cannot allow our house, the house that opened its doors, to become a centre for spying," added Moreno, who was elected in 2017.

"Our decision is not arbitrary but is based on international law," he said.

The WikiLeaks founder is in custody in London awaiting sentencing for breaching his British bail conditions in 2012 by seeking refuge in the Ecuadoran embassy to avoid extradition to Sweden.

Earlier Sunday,&nbsp;Assange's lawyer said his client would cooperate with Swedish authorities if they reopen a rape case against him but would continue to resist any bid to extradite him to the United States.

"We are absolutely happy to answer those queries if and when they come up," Jennifer Robinson told Sky News television about the rape claims.

"The key issue at the moment is US extradition, which we have warned about for many years," she added.

Assange&nbsp;was arrested at the embassy on Thursday after Ecuador gave him up, and is now also fighting a US extradition warrant relating to the release by WikiLeaks of a huge cache of official documents.

The Australian has always denied the claims of sexual assault and rape in Sweden. The first expired in 2015 and the other was dropped in 2017, but the alleged rape victim has now asked for the case to be reopened.

If Stockholm makes a formal extradition request, the British government will have to decide whether to consider it before or after that of the United States.

Robinson said&nbsp;Assange would seek assurances from Sweden that he would not be sent on to America, saying: "That is the same assurance we were seeking in 2010 and the refusal to give that is why he sought asylum."

'Not above the law'&nbsp;

She added: "He's not above the law.&nbsp;Julian&nbsp;has never been concerned about facing British justice or indeed Swedish justice.&nbsp;This case is and has always been about his concern about being sent to face American injustice."

The US indictment charges&nbsp;Assange with "conspiracy", alleging that he worked with former US Army intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning to crack a password stored on Department of Defence computers in March 2010.

He faces up to five years in jail.

Also Sunday, WikiLeaks said Australian Consul Clare West would visit the Ecuadoran embassy on Monday to request that the mission hand over&nbsp;Assange's belongings.

West met with&nbsp;Assange&nbsp;in prison on Friday.

Two left-wing German lawmakers, Heike Hansel and Sevim Dagdelen, along with&nbsp;Spanish MEP Ana Miranda were expected in London on Monday when they were originally set to meet&nbsp;Assange&nbsp;at the embassy.

Instead, they will hold a news conference outside the Belmarsh prison where&nbsp;Assange&nbsp;is being held, the German party Die Linke and WikiLeaks said.&nbsp;

Manning passed hundreds of thousands of classified documents to WikiLeaks, exposing US military wrongdoing in the Iraq war and diplomatic secrets about scores of countries around the world.

The conspiracy charge against Assange&nbsp;seems intended to sidestep limits on prosecution potentially arising from the US Constitution's First Amendment guarantee of press freedom.

But Robinson insisted: "This indictment clearly engages newsgathering activities and the kinds of communications that journalists have with sources all the time."

The lawyer condemned as "outrageous" claims made by Ecuador about&nbsp;Assange's behaviour in the embassy, including that he smeared his faeces on the wall, saying: "That's not true."

In the Guardian interview, Moreno charged that Assange&nbsp;"mistreated our officials (and) started to make legal threats even against who was helping him."

Assange's father, John Shipton, on Sunday urged Australia to bring his son home.

Ecuadoran President Lenin Moreno on Sunday defended his decision to overturn Julian Assange's asylum status, claiming in an interview with the Guardian newspaper that the WikiLeaks founder had tried to set up a "centre for spying" in Ecuador's London embassy.

Ecuadoran President Lenin Moreno on Sunday defended his decision to overturn Julian Assange's asylum status, claiming in an interview with the Guardian newspaper that the WikiLeaks founder had tried to set up a "centre for spying" in Ecuador's London embassy. "It is unfortunate that, from our territory and with the permission of authorities of the previous government, facilities have been provided within the Ecuadoran embassy in London to interfere in processes of other states," Moreno said. "We cannot allow our house, the house that opened its doors, to become a centre for spying," added Moreno, who was elected in 2017. "Our decision is not arbitrary but is based on international law," he said. The WikiLeaks founder is in custody in London awaiting sentencing for breaching his British bail conditions in 2012 by seeking refuge in the Ecuadoran embassy to avoid extradition to Sweden. Earlier Sunday, Assange's lawyer said his client would cooperate with Swedish authorities if they reopen a rape case against him but would continue to resist any bid to extradite him to the United States. "We are absolutely happy to answer those queries if and when they come up," Jennifer Robinson told Sky News television about the rape claims. "The key issue at the moment is US extradition, which we have warned about for many years," she added. Assange was arrested at the embassy on Thursday after Ecuador gave him up, and is now also fighting a US extradition warrant relating to the release by WikiLeaks of a huge cache of official documents. The Australian has always denied the claims of sexual assault and rape in Sweden. The first expired in 2015 and the other was dropped in 2017, but the alleged rape victim has now asked for the case to be reopened. If Stockholm makes a formal extradition request, the British government will have to decide whether to consider it before or after that of the United States. Robinson said Assange would seek assurances from Sweden that he would not be sent on to America, saying: "That is the same assurance we were seeking in 2010 and the refusal to give that is why he sought asylum." 'Not above the law' She added: "He's not above the law. Julian has never been concerned about facing British justice or indeed Swedish justice. This case is and has always been about his concern about being sent to face American injustice." The US indictment charges Assange with "conspiracy", alleging that he worked with former US Army intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning to crack a password stored on Department of Defence computers in March 2010. He faces up to five years in jail. Also Sunday, WikiLeaks said Australian Consul Clare West would visit the Ecuadoran embassy on Monday to request that the mission hand over Assange's belongings. West met with Assange in prison on Friday. Two left-wing German lawmakers, Heike Hansel and Sevim Dagdelen, along with Spanish MEP Ana Miranda were expected in London on Monday when they were originally set to meet Assange at the embassy. Instead, they will hold a news conference outside the Belmarsh prison where Assange is being held, the German party Die Linke and WikiLeaks said. Manning passed hundreds of thousands of classified documents to WikiLeaks, exposing US military wrongdoing in the Iraq war and diplomatic secrets about scores of countries around the world. The conspiracy charge against Assange seems intended to sidestep limits on prosecution potentially arising from the US Constitution's First Amendment guarantee of press freedom. But Robinson insisted: "This indictment clearly engages newsgathering activities and the kinds of communications that journalists have with sources all the time." The lawyer condemned as "outrageous" claims made by Ecuador about Assange's behaviour in the embassy, including that he smeared his faeces on the wall, saying: "That's not true." In the Guardian interview, Moreno charged that Assange "mistreated our officials (and) started to make legal threats even against who was helping him." Assange's father, John Shipton, on Sunday urged Australia to bring his son home.

Ecuador president defends Julian Assange asylum withdrawal

A US federal judge on Monday blocked President <a href="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-mocks-asylum-seekers-explains-halt-of-funds-to-central-american-nations-208466&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=0ahUKEwjSnMjFlsLhAhWIdXAKHavzDsYQFggFMAA&amp;client=internal-uds-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;usg=AOvVaw1Vh8vyjlHwwldinu358Njt">Donald Trump</a>'s policy of returning <a href="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.wionews.com/world/our-country-is-full-turn-around-trump-to-asylum-seekers-at-mexico-border-208260&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=0ahUKEwi8_9utlsLhAhUEdXAKHZQJBJ4QFggIMAE&amp;client=internal-uds-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;usg=AOvVaw3ULYB2eMHyrQUIPnkIs0I4">asylum </a>seekers to Mexico to wait out the processing of their cases, saying the Department of Homeland Security had overstepped its authority.

The ruling by US District Judge Richard Seeborg in San Francisco marked a rebuke for the Trump administration's efforts to stop the flow of migrants seeking asylum through the US border with <a href="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.wionews.com/world/our-country-is-full-turn-around-trump-to-asylum-seekers-at-mexico-border-208260&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=0ahUKEwjSnMjFlsLhAhWIdXAKHavzDsYQFggIMAE&amp;client=internal-uds-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;usg=AOvVaw3wwjmYvsEcHbqu2YPADmBv">Mexico</a>.

The decision, which goes into effect on Friday, comes just days after outgoing Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen had vowed to expand the controversial program.

Several hundred people seeking asylum have been returned to Mexico to await the outcome of their request under the policy first implemented in January at the San Ysidro port of entry in California and later extended to Calexico, a second California border point, and El Paso, Texas.

"A 9th Circuit Judge just ruled that Mexico is too dangerous for migrants. So unfair to the US OUT OF CONTROL!," Trump furiously tweeted.&nbsp;

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A 9th Circuit Judge just ruled that Mexico is too dangerous for migrants. So unfair to the U.S. OUT OF CONTROL! <a href="https://t.co/XF8o3jMDle">https://t.co/XF8o3jMDle</a>
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While any appeal against Seeborg's ruling will be heard by the federal Ninth Circuit appeals court - a frequent target of Trump's ire - Seeborg himself is not on the circuit.

Elsewhere, rights groups welcomed the ruling, saying the return policy failed to provide adequate safeguards to protect asylum seekers from persecution.

"Try as it may, the Trump administration cannot simply ignore our laws in order to accomplish its goal of preventing people from seeking asylum in the United States," said Judy Rabinovitz, deputy director of the American Civil Liberties Union's Immigrants' Rights Project.&nbsp;

The ACLU and several other groups, including the Southern Poverty Law Center, had sought an injunction against the policy on behalf of 11 asylum seekers from El Salvador, Honduras and Guatemala who were returned to Mexico after seeking asylum at the US border.

In his 27-page ruling - which can be appealed - Seeborg said at issue was not whether the policy is "a wise, intelligent, or humane policy" but rather whether it exposes aliens to "unduly dangerous circumstances."

He noted that the plaintiffs in the case were not challenging the "system" of expedited removal.

Trump, who originally dubbed the measure the "Remain in Mexico" policy, unveiled it last year as a series of caravans with thousands of Central American migrants made their way to the US-Mexican border.

Mexico said it was cooperating with US authorities concerning the migrants being sent back, but only for humanitarian reasons.

Migrants who reach US soil have a legal right to seek asylum and are usually held in detention facilities while their application is processed, or released into the United States.

A US federal judge on Monday blocked President Donald Trump's policy of returning asylum seekers to Mexico to wait out the processing of their cases, saying the Department of Homeland Security had overstepped its authority.

A US federal judge on Monday blocked President Donald Trump's policy of returning asylum seekers to Mexico to wait out the processing of their cases, saying the Department of Homeland Security had overstepped its authority. The ruling by US District Judge Richard Seeborg in San Francisco marked a rebuke for the Trump administration's efforts to stop the flow of migrants seeking asylum through the US border with Mexico. The decision, which goes into effect on Friday, comes just days after outgoing Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen had vowed to expand the controversial program. Several hundred people seeking asylum have been returned to Mexico to await the outcome of their request under the policy first implemented in January at the San Ysidro port of entry in California and later extended to Calexico, a second California border point, and El Paso, Texas. "A 9th Circuit Judge just ruled that Mexico is too dangerous for migrants. So unfair to the US OUT OF CONTROL!," Trump furiously tweeted. A 9th Circuit Judge just ruled that Mexico is too dangerous for migrants. So unfair to the U.S. OUT OF CONTROL! https://t.co/XF8o3jMDle — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 9, 2019 × While any appeal against Seeborg's ruling will be heard by the federal Ninth Circuit appeals court - a frequent target of Trump's ire - Seeborg himself is not on the circuit. Elsewhere, rights groups welcomed the ruling, saying the return policy failed to provide adequate safeguards to protect asylum seekers from persecution. "Try as it may, the Trump administration cannot simply ignore our laws in order to accomplish its goal of preventing people from seeking asylum in the United States," said Judy Rabinovitz, deputy director of the American Civil Liberties Union's Immigrants' Rights Project. The ACLU and several other groups, including the Southern Poverty Law Center, had sought an injunction against the policy on behalf of 11 asylum seekers from El Salvador, Honduras and Guatemala who were returned to Mexico after seeking asylum at the US border. In his 27-page ruling - which can be appealed - Seeborg said at issue was not whether the policy is "a wise, intelligent, or humane policy" but rather whether it exposes aliens to "unduly dangerous circumstances." He noted that the plaintiffs in the case were not challenging the "system" of expedited removal. Trump, who originally dubbed the measure the "Remain in Mexico" policy, unveiled it last year as a series of caravans with thousands of Central American migrants made their way to the US-Mexican border. Mexico said it was cooperating with US authorities concerning the migrants being sent back, but only for humanitarian reasons. Migrants who reach US soil have a legal right to seek asylum and are usually held in detention facilities while their application is processed, or released into the United States.

US judge blocks Trump's policy of returning asylum seekers to Mexico

A US lawmaker has introduced a resolution in the House of Representatives to grant asylum to <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/asia-bibi-still-in-pakistan-but-free-to-go-foreign-office-194118">Pakistani woman Asia Bibi</a>, claiming she was "persecuted" in that country for being a Christian.

Asia Bibi has been persecuted, jailed and threatened for doing nothing more than being a Christian in Pakistan, Congressman Ken Calvert said.

The recent decision by Pakistan's top court to overturn Bibi's death sentence and free her from jail is obviously welcome news, the lawmaker said.

However, Asia continues to be in danger and is the subject of incendiary rhetoric by radical Islamist leaders. That's why it's essential for Congress and other defenders of religious freedom to stand up and protect her, Calvert said.

Recognising the importance of granting asylum to those with legitimate claims of persecution for their religion, race, nationality, membership in a social group, or political belief; the resolution supports granting asylum in the United States to Asia Bibi and her immediate family.&nbsp;

Bibi, a mother of four, may leave Pakistan shortly as there are threats to her life. Her two daughter had already shifted to Canada.

Pakistan said on Thursday that Bibi, who was recently acquitted by the Supreme Court in a blasphemy case, was a free citizen and has the right to travel anywhere inside the country or abroad.

A three-member Supreme Court bench on Tuesday threw out a petition seeking to review the apex court's decision to acquit 47-year-old Bibi.

She was arrested in 2009 for allegedly using derogatory words during a quarrel with Muslim women while working on a farm in Nankana Sahib area of Punjab province. The case was filed by a local prayer leader on the complaint of the Muslim women.

Bibi was convicted in 2010 by the trial court and her death sentence was maintained by the Lahore High Court in 2014. The apex court overturned her conviction last year, sparking days of violent demonstrations led by hardline Islamist parties.

Her case has been deeply divisive in Pakistan where there is strong support for the controversial blasphemy laws.

Bibi's case gained prominence when the former governor of Pakistan's Punjab province Salman Taseer was killed in 2011 for supporting her and criticising the blasphemy laws.

A month after Taseer was killed, Pakistan's religious minorities minister Shahbaz Bhatti, a Christian who spoke out against the blasphemy law, was shot dead in Islamabad.

The blasphemy laws were promulgated by former military dictator Ziaul Haq in 1980s. A person convicted under these laws is given a death sentence.&nbsp;

A US lawmaker has introduced a resolution in the House of Representatives to grant asylum to Pakistani woman Asia Bibi, claiming she was "persecuted" in that country for being a Christian.

A US lawmaker has introduced a resolution in the House of Representatives to grant asylum to Pakistani woman Asia Bibi, claiming she was "persecuted" in that country for being a Christian. Asia Bibi has been persecuted, jailed and threatened for doing nothing more than being a Christian in Pakistan, Congressman Ken Calvert said. The recent decision by Pakistan's top court to overturn Bibi's death sentence and free her from jail is obviously welcome news, the lawmaker said. However, Asia continues to be in danger and is the subject of incendiary rhetoric by radical Islamist leaders. That's why it's essential for Congress and other defenders of religious freedom to stand up and protect her, Calvert said. Recognising the importance of granting asylum to those with legitimate claims of persecution for their religion, race, nationality, membership in a social group, or political belief; the resolution supports granting asylum in the United States to Asia Bibi and her immediate family. Bibi, a mother of four, may leave Pakistan shortly as there are threats to her life. Her two daughter had already shifted to Canada. Pakistan said on Thursday that Bibi, who was recently acquitted by the Supreme Court in a blasphemy case, was a free citizen and has the right to travel anywhere inside the country or abroad. A three-member Supreme Court bench on Tuesday threw out a petition seeking to review the apex court's decision to acquit 47-year-old Bibi. She was arrested in 2009 for allegedly using derogatory words during a quarrel with Muslim women while working on a farm in Nankana Sahib area of Punjab province. The case was filed by a local prayer leader on the complaint of the Muslim women. Bibi was convicted in 2010 by the trial court and her death sentence was maintained by the Lahore High Court in 2014. The apex court overturned her conviction last year, sparking days of violent demonstrations led by hardline Islamist parties. Her case has been deeply divisive in Pakistan where there is strong support for the controversial blasphemy laws. Bibi's case gained prominence when the former governor of Pakistan's Punjab province Salman Taseer was killed in 2011 for supporting her and criticising the blasphemy laws. A month after Taseer was killed, Pakistan's religious minorities minister Shahbaz Bhatti, a Christian who spoke out against the blasphemy law, was shot dead in Islamabad. The blasphemy laws were promulgated by former military dictator Ziaul Haq in 1980s. A person convicted under these laws is given a death sentence.

Resolution introduced in US Congress to grant asylum to Asia Bibi

A young <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/saudi-asylum-seeker-who-fled-her-family-arrives-in-canada-to-official-welcome-189901">Saudi woman's</a> flight from her family and country has stirred debate in Saudi Arabia about its requirement that women get permission from a male guardian to travel or marry, according to a Dow Jones Newswires report made available to EFE on Saturday.

Canada said Friday it would grant refugee status to 18-year-old Rahaf Alqunun, after a weeklong asylum bid that spurred some Saudis to question whether the male-guardianship system still has a place in a kingdom where social mores are quickly changing.

Saudi women can now drive, attend soccer matches with men and work in any field, but they can't travel freely without a guardian. Saudi women are treated as minors in many legal matters, including marriage and being released from prison, requiring authorisation from a male guardian - father, husband or even a son.&nbsp;

Legally nonbinding social customs often force women to demonstrate their guardian's consent to work, get health care and conduct transactions such as renting an apartment, according to a 2016 Human Rights Watch report.

"No one of sound mind can rationalise the idea of the guardianship system," said a Saudi named Bandar, in a video posted this week on Twitter. "It's what's making girls wishful to leave their country and live somewhere else from the country they were raised in."&nbsp;

The post was among thousands with hashtags related to Alqunun or the guardianship system that have trended on Twitter in Saudi Arabia since her case exploded into public view this week.

Alqunun fled on Saturday during a family trip to Kuwait, where she was able to board a flight to Thailand without a guardian's permission.

She was stopped by Thai authorities, but refused efforts to send her back to Saudi Arabia, saying she had renounced Islam and feared her family would harm her.

Alqunun said she had a visa for Australia and planned to seek asylum there, but on Friday, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Canada had granted her refugee status.

A Saudi diplomatic official in Thailand told Saudi television that Alqunun's father said she wasn't a victim of violence.

Saudi guardianship laws are generally unpopular in more cosmopolitan Saudi cities such as Riyadh and the Red Sea port of Jeddah.&nbsp;

But they remain an important part of life in more conservative areas, and the government would face intense opposition if it moved to undo the guardianship system.&nbsp;

While some other Muslim countries have male-guardianship traditions, Saudi Arabia goes the furthest in enshrining these customs in law and carrying them out in practice, drawing on its ultraconservative interpretation of Islam.

"This change would overturn social life in the entire kingdom," said Cinzia Bianco, senior analyst in London for Gulf State Analytics, a geopolitical risk consulting firm.

Many people have come out in defense of the guardianship system this week, arguing that it promotes conservative morals and traditional Saudi values.

"If the guardianship is dropped, what more will happen? Go out and see the loose women on the streets with their loud voices," said Abdulhamid Alodeilh in a Twitter post.

Faisal J. Abbas, the editor in chief of the pro-government Saudi newspaper, Arab News, wrote in an op-ed on Thursday that there was little room for guardianship laws amid the social change sweeping Saudi Arabia.

"Male guardianship over women in Saudi Arabia - or anywhere in the world - is wrong and discriminatory, and all forms of this outdated practice should be abolished," he wrote in the essay, which got widespread attention.&nbsp;

He also said Alqunun shouldn't become a poster child for ending guardianship laws, citing her young age.

Until this week, the debate over the Saudi guardianship system had been muted, in part because the government has jailed a host of prominent womens-rights activists, Dow Jones added in a report made available to EFE.

Among the detained is Aziza al-Yousef, a retired professor and a vocal advocate for scrapping male permissions for travel and other matters.

The arrests are part of a broad crackdown on Saudi civil society by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who has also targeted business leaders and clerics in his bid to consolidate power and stifle dissent over his disruptive policies.

Without well-connected activists advocating for abolishing guardianship laws, it isn't clear how this week's calls for change could be sustained, said Kristin Diwan, a senior resident scholar at the Arab Gulf States Institute in Washington. "That clearly affects the room for an open debate," she said.

The Saudi government has accused the activists of terrorism and working with hostile foreign governments. No charges have been publicly leveled against them.

Some guardianship opponents had looked with hope to King Salman and his son, Prince Mohammed, when they came to power in 2015.

A movement called "I Am My Own Guardian" sprang up in 2016. Hundreds of women sent telegrams to King Salman that year, asking him to change guardianship laws.

In April 2017, the king made a gesture that was seen as a positive signal, clarifying that government agencies shouldn't require a guardian's permission unless specifically required to do so under the law.&nbsp;

Prince Mohammed, the 33-year-old in line to succeed his father, spearheaded lifting of the ban on women driving and has pushed other popular reforms, such as disempowering a religious police force that often harassed and even jailed women for how they dressed.&nbsp;

But he has been noncommittal about ending guardianship laws, saying it was for Islamic scholars to study.

"Changing guardianship is harder than the driving ban," said Karen E. Young, resident scholar at the American Enterprise Institute.

Some Saudis this week said the kingdom's laws weren't the real impediment to change, but that the rules come from biases against women ingrained deep in society.&nbsp;

Writing with a hashtag about lifting the "travel ban," a Twitter user named Nahawnd said Prince Mohammed would eventually overcome "this backward society and prevailing mind-set."

A young Saudi woman's flight from her family and country has stirred debate in Saudi Arabia about its requirement that women get permission from a male guardian to travel or marry, according to a Dow Jones Newswires report made available to EFE on Saturday.

A young Saudi woman's flight from her family and country has stirred debate in Saudi Arabia about its requirement that women get permission from a male guardian to travel or marry, according to a Dow Jones Newswires report made available to EFE on Saturday. Canada said Friday it would grant refugee status to 18-year-old Rahaf Alqunun, after a weeklong asylum bid that spurred some Saudis to question whether the male-guardianship system still has a place in a kingdom where social mores are quickly changing. Saudi women can now drive, attend soccer matches with men and work in any field, but they can't travel freely without a guardian. Saudi women are treated as minors in many legal matters, including marriage and being released from prison, requiring authorisation from a male guardian - father, husband or even a son. Legally nonbinding social customs often force women to demonstrate their guardian's consent to work, get health care and conduct transactions such as renting an apartment, according to a 2016 Human Rights Watch report. "No one of sound mind can rationalise the idea of the guardianship system," said a Saudi named Bandar, in a video posted this week on Twitter. "It's what's making girls wishful to leave their country and live somewhere else from the country they were raised in." The post was among thousands with hashtags related to Alqunun or the guardianship system that have trended on Twitter in Saudi Arabia since her case exploded into public view this week. Alqunun fled on Saturday during a family trip to Kuwait, where she was able to board a flight to Thailand without a guardian's permission. She was stopped by Thai authorities, but refused efforts to send her back to Saudi Arabia, saying she had renounced Islam and feared her family would harm her. Alqunun said she had a visa for Australia and planned to seek asylum there, but on Friday, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Canada had granted her refugee status. A Saudi diplomatic official in Thailand told Saudi television that Alqunun's father said she wasn't a victim of violence. Saudi guardianship laws are generally unpopular in more cosmopolitan Saudi cities such as Riyadh and the Red Sea port of Jeddah. But they remain an important part of life in more conservative areas, and the government would face intense opposition if it moved to undo the guardianship system. While some other Muslim countries have male-guardianship traditions, Saudi Arabia goes the furthest in enshrining these customs in law and carrying them out in practice, drawing on its ultraconservative interpretation of Islam. "This change would overturn social life in the entire kingdom," said Cinzia Bianco, senior analyst in London for Gulf State Analytics, a geopolitical risk consulting firm. Many people have come out in defense of the guardianship system this week, arguing that it promotes conservative morals and traditional Saudi values. "If the guardianship is dropped, what more will happen? Go out and see the loose women on the streets with their loud voices," said Abdulhamid Alodeilh in a Twitter post. Faisal J. Abbas, the editor in chief of the pro-government Saudi newspaper, Arab News, wrote in an op-ed on Thursday that there was little room for guardianship laws amid the social change sweeping Saudi Arabia. "Male guardianship over women in Saudi Arabia - or anywhere in the world - is wrong and discriminatory, and all forms of this outdated practice should be abolished," he wrote in the essay, which got widespread attention. He also said Alqunun shouldn't become a poster child for ending guardianship laws, citing her young age. Until this week, the debate over the Saudi guardianship system had been muted, in part because the government has jailed a host of prominent womens-rights activists, Dow Jones added in a report made available to EFE. Among the detained is Aziza al-Yousef, a retired professor and a vocal advocate for scrapping male permissions for travel and other matters. The arrests are part of a broad crackdown on Saudi civil society by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who has also targeted business leaders and clerics in his bid to consolidate power and stifle dissent over his disruptive policies. Without well-connected activists advocating for abolishing guardianship laws, it isn't clear how this week's calls for change could be sustained, said Kristin Diwan, a senior resident scholar at the Arab Gulf States Institute in Washington. "That clearly affects the room for an open debate," she said. The Saudi government has accused the activists of terrorism and working with hostile foreign governments. No charges have been publicly leveled against them. Some guardianship opponents had looked with hope to King Salman and his son, Prince Mohammed, when they came to power in 2015. A movement called "I Am My Own Guardian" sprang up in 2016. Hundreds of women sent telegrams to King Salman that year, asking him to change guardianship laws. In April 2017, the king made a gesture that was seen as a positive signal, clarifying that government agencies shouldn't require a guardian's permission unless specifically required to do so under the law. Prince Mohammed, the 33-year-old in line to succeed his father, spearheaded lifting of the ban on women driving and has pushed other popular reforms, such as disempowering a religious police force that often harassed and even jailed women for how they dressed. But he has been noncommittal about ending guardianship laws, saying it was for Islamic scholars to study. "Changing guardianship is harder than the driving ban," said Karen E. Young, resident scholar at the American Enterprise Institute. Some Saudis this week said the kingdom's laws weren't the real impediment to change, but that the rules come from biases against women ingrained deep in society. Writing with a hashtag about lifting the "travel ban," a Twitter user named Nahawnd said Prince Mohammed would eventually overcome "this backward society and prevailing mind-set."

Runaway teen's bid for asylum in Canada stirs women's rights debate in Saudi Arabia

There is no signed agreement allowing third-country migrants to stay in Mexico while their <a href="http://13.232.42.114/world/us-judge-rules-in-favour-of-asylum-seekers-185388">asylum applications</a> are processed in the United States, Mexico's new foreign minister said Friday.

Marcelo Ebrard spoke one day after US Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen said the <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/us-government-shuts-down-at-midnight-as-house-adjourns-with-no-deal-185738">Donald Trump</a> administration will send migrants who cross the southern US border back to Mexico while their cases are being heard.

"We have signed no treaty, nor will we do it," Ebrard said during the daily press conference of President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, who took office on December 1.

Mexico's Washington charge d'affairs Jose Antonio Zabalgoitia told reporters Thursday his country would "guarantee that foreign people who have received their appointment (in the United States) fully enjoy the rights and freedoms recognized by the constitution."&nbsp;

But he also urged Washington "not to turn migrants into ping-pong balls."

"The measure applies only to people seeking asylum" in the United States, Zabalgoitia said. "We will not accept people deported from the United States."

In Mexico, some critics thought that meant their new government had signed an agreement with Washington formalizing the procedure.

Not so, said Ebrard.

"Mexico would not accept such a treaty, we have told them many times," he said.

Ebrard said officials were asking Washington for more details on what they are doing so they can give a "more accurate position" regarding the policy on Monday.

The US announcement came after US courts rebuffed Trump administration orders to deny asylum to tens of thousands of Central Americans, mostly from Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras, who have headed northward fleeing poverty and violence in their countries.

Since Mexico will not accept non-Mexican migrants returned by the United States, US officials are forced to register those people, either charging them with illegal entry or recording their asylum requests.

Then they are released within the United States to await future hearings. Nielsen says few ever show up for their asylum hearings.

On Tuesday the United States said it was ready to support $4.5 billion in investment in Central America and southern Mexico in hopes of stemming migration.

There is no signed agreement allowing third-country migrants to stay in Mexico while their asylum applications are processed in the United States, Mexico's new foreign minister said Friday.

There is no signed agreement allowing third-country migrants to stay in Mexico while their asylum applications are processed in the United States, Mexico's new foreign minister said Friday. Marcelo Ebrard spoke one day after US Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen said the Donald Trump administration will send migrants who cross the southern US border back to Mexico while their cases are being heard. "We have signed no treaty, nor will we do it," Ebrard said during the daily press conference of President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, who took office on December 1. Mexico's Washington charge d'affairs Jose Antonio Zabalgoitia told reporters Thursday his country would "guarantee that foreign people who have received their appointment (in the United States) fully enjoy the rights and freedoms recognized by the constitution." But he also urged Washington "not to turn migrants into ping-pong balls." "The measure applies only to people seeking asylum" in the United States, Zabalgoitia said. "We will not accept people deported from the United States." In Mexico, some critics thought that meant their new government had signed an agreement with Washington formalizing the procedure. Not so, said Ebrard. "Mexico would not accept such a treaty, we have told them many times," he said. Ebrard said officials were asking Washington for more details on what they are doing so they can give a "more accurate position" regarding the policy on Monday. The US announcement came after US courts rebuffed Trump administration orders to deny asylum to tens of thousands of Central Americans, mostly from Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras, who have headed northward fleeing poverty and violence in their countries. Since Mexico will not accept non-Mexican migrants returned by the United States, US officials are forced to register those people, either charging them with illegal entry or recording their asylum requests. Then they are released within the United States to await future hearings. Nielsen says few ever show up for their asylum hearings. On Tuesday the United States said it was ready to support $4.5 billion in investment in Central America and southern Mexico in hopes of stemming migration.

No signed agreement with US on asylum seekers: Mexico

The lawyer for <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/un-denies-forcing-asia-bibis-lawyer-to-leave-for-netherlands-175962">Asia Bibi, a Pakistani Christian acquitted of capital blasphemy charges</a>, appealed on Tuesday (November 20) to Germany to give her whole family citizenship to start a new life in Europe.

Saiful Mulook told a news conference in Frankfurt that Bibi was now free but she and her family needed a passport to leave the country.

Bibi, 53, was convicted of blasphemy in 2010 over allegations she made derogatory remarks about Islam after neighbours objected to her drinking water from their glass because she was not Muslim.

The Supreme Court acquitted her last month.

It was unclear why citizenship, rather than a visa, was necessary for her to leave Pakistan, though Mulook said pressure from religious extremists was making it harder for Islamabad to arrange her departure.

She and her family are staying at a safe house in Pakistan, despite offers of asylum from countries including Canada.

Mulook said the status of a friend of Bibi's husband, who has a wife and five daughters, whom he would like to join them, was a sticking point. Another wife of Bibi's husband and her three daughters were not seeking to leave Pakistan with Bibi, he added.

German officials have said that they and a number of other countries are in talks with Bibi's family and the Pakistani government to find a way of rehousing her.

Mulook, who has himself sought refuge in the Netherlands after being threatened for taking on Bibi's case, said Bibi had no preference as to which country she would travel to for asylum.

The German government had no immediate comment on the request for a passport.

The lawyer for Asia Bibi, a Pakistani Christian acquitted of capital blasphemy charges, appealed on Tuesday (November 20) to Germany to give her whole family citizenship to start a new life in Europe.

The lawyer for Asia Bibi, a Pakistani Christian acquitted of capital blasphemy charges, appealed on Tuesday (November 20) to Germany to give her whole family citizenship to start a new life in Europe. Saiful Mulook told a news conference in Frankfurt that Bibi was now free but she and her family needed a passport to leave the country. Bibi, 53, was convicted of blasphemy in 2010 over allegations she made derogatory remarks about Islam after neighbours objected to her drinking water from their glass because she was not Muslim. The Supreme Court acquitted her last month. It was unclear why citizenship, rather than a visa, was necessary for her to leave Pakistan, though Mulook said pressure from religious extremists was making it harder for Islamabad to arrange her departure. She and her family are staying at a safe house in Pakistan, despite offers of asylum from countries including Canada. Mulook said the status of a friend of Bibi's husband, who has a wife and five daughters, whom he would like to join them, was a sticking point. Another wife of Bibi's husband and her three daughters were not seeking to leave Pakistan with Bibi, he added. German officials have said that they and a number of other countries are in talks with Bibi's family and the Pakistani government to find a way of rehousing her. Mulook, who has himself sought refuge in the Netherlands after being threatened for taking on Bibi's case, said Bibi had no preference as to which country she would travel to for asylum. The German government had no immediate comment on the request for a passport.

Asia Bibi unable to leave Pakistan without asylum offer: Lawyer

Asia Bibi's husband&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/asia-bibis-husband-calls-for-her-protection-hails-courts-order-as-very-courageous-175324">Ashiq Masih</a>&nbsp;pleaded Saturday for asylum in the UK, US or Canada, news reports Sunday said.

Masih said they were in danger in Pakistan and that threats had been made to Asia's life. Asia was this week acquitted by Pakistan's Supreme Court of insulting the Prophet Muhammad.&nbsp;

Asia is Christian.&nbsp;

"The situation is dangerous for Asia. I feel that her life is not secure," AFP had earlier quoted Masih as saying. "So I appeal to government to enhance Asia's security in jail".

Asia, 47, has spent eight years on death row. She was accused&nbsp;of insulting the Prophet Muhammad in 2009, after a dispute with fellow workers, and convicted by a lower court in 2010.&nbsp;

The accusation of blasphemy had broken out over a drink of water. Asia's fellow workers — they had been harvesting fruit — said she should not have drunk from a common bucket and that she had defiled the water because she was Christian.&nbsp;

They added that she should convert to Islam.&nbsp;

France and Spain have offered her asylum, while the former bishop of Rochester, Michael Nazir-Ali, who is a Christian born in Pakistan, said Bibi should be granted asylum in the UK, Skynews reported.

The protesters, however, ended their action Friday night after the government reached a controversial deal to put Bibi on the no-fly list and saying it would not object to an appeal against the verdict, which was filed earlier in the Supreme Court.

"We have requested the Supreme Court to put Asia Bibi on the Exit Control List as soon as possible so that she could not fly out of the country," Ghulam Mustafa Chaudhry, the lawyer of Qari Salam who filed the case against Bibi, told AFP.

"We fear that she would be flown out of the country so we have requested the court for an early hearing of the case," he said, adding that he would "exploit all legal remedies to make sure Asia Bibi is hanged according to the law".

Bibi's lawyer Saif-ul-Mulook and Pakistani media criticised the government for caving in to the Islamist hardliners after Prime Minister Imran Khan had earlier appeared to stand up to them following the court verdict.

Meanwhile, Saif-ul-Mulook, who saved Bibi from the gallows <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/asia-bibis-lawyer-leaves-pakistan-citing-threats-to-his-life-175254">left the country</a> on Saturday, saying his life was under threat.

Blasphemy is a massively inflammatory charge in Muslim-majority Pakistan, where even unproven allegations of insulting Islam and its Prophet Mohammed can provoke death at the hands of vigilantes. 
&nbsp;

Asia Bibi's husband Ashiq Masih pleaded Saturday for asylum in the UK, US or Canada, news reports Sunday said. Masih said they were in danger in Pakistan and that threats had been made to Asia's life.

Asia Bibi's husband Ashiq Masih pleaded Saturday for asylum in the UK, US or Canada, news reports Sunday said. Masih said they were in danger in Pakistan and that threats had been made to Asia's life. Asia was this week acquitted by Pakistan's Supreme Court of insulting the Prophet Muhammad. Asia is Christian. "The situation is dangerous for Asia. I feel that her life is not secure," AFP had earlier quoted Masih as saying. "So I appeal to government to enhance Asia's security in jail". Asia, 47, has spent eight years on death row. She was accused of insulting the Prophet Muhammad in 2009, after a dispute with fellow workers, and convicted by a lower court in 2010. The accusation of blasphemy had broken out over a drink of water. Asia's fellow workers — they had been harvesting fruit — said she should not have drunk from a common bucket and that she had defiled the water because she was Christian. They added that she should convert to Islam. France and Spain have offered her asylum, while the former bishop of Rochester, Michael Nazir-Ali, who is a Christian born in Pakistan, said Bibi should be granted asylum in the UK, Skynews reported. The protesters, however, ended their action Friday night after the government reached a controversial deal to put Bibi on the no-fly list and saying it would not object to an appeal against the verdict, which was filed earlier in the Supreme Court. "We have requested the Supreme Court to put Asia Bibi on the Exit Control List as soon as possible so that she could not fly out of the country," Ghulam Mustafa Chaudhry, the lawyer of Qari Salam who filed the case against Bibi, told AFP. "We fear that she would be flown out of the country so we have requested the court for an early hearing of the case," he said, adding that he would "exploit all legal remedies to make sure Asia Bibi is hanged according to the law". Bibi's lawyer Saif-ul-Mulook and Pakistani media criticised the government for caving in to the Islamist hardliners after Prime Minister Imran Khan had earlier appeared to stand up to them following the court verdict. Meanwhile, Saif-ul-Mulook, who saved Bibi from the gallows left the country on Saturday, saying his life was under threat. Blasphemy is a massively inflammatory charge in Muslim-majority Pakistan, where even unproven allegations of insulting Islam and its Prophet Mohammed can provoke death at the hands of vigilantes.

Asia Bibi's husband asks for asylum in UK, US or Canada

Papua New Guinea police sealed off an officially shuttered Australia-run detention camp on Thursday and ordered&nbsp;asylum&nbsp;seekers occupying it to leave as they confiscated food and water the men had stockpiled,&nbsp;asylum&nbsp;seekers told Reuters.

About 380&nbsp;asylum&nbsp;seekers have shut themselves inside the Manus Island Centre for more than three weeks, defying attempts by Australia and Papua New Guinea (PNG) to close it in a standoff the United Nations described as a &quot;looming humanitarian crisis&quot;.

&quot;They destroyed our food and damaged our accommodation too, they destroyed our water tank,&quot; one&nbsp;asylum-seeker said in a mobile telephone message from the camp.

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<h5>The asylum&nbsp;seekers said police confiscated the food and water they had stockpiled</h5>
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Many of the men climbed onto rooftops and hid in toilets, he said. Three other&nbsp;asylum&nbsp;seekers gave similar accounts of the police action.

A video shot by Sudanese refugee Abdul Aziz and posted on Facebook showed police using a megaphone to tell the&nbsp;asylum&nbsp;seekers to leave because their stay at the camp, located on land used by the PNG navy, was illegal.

The footage he later posted on Twitter showed men boarding minibusses and buses. Tim Costello, chief advocate at the World Vision Australia aid group, told Reuters by phone from outside the camp that he had seen buses leaving.

Calls to PNG immigration and police were not returned.

The Manus island camp in PNG, and another on the tiny Pacific island nation of Nauru, have been the cornerstones of Australia&rsquo;s controversial immigration policy, which has been strongly criticized by the United Nations and rights groups.

Australia opened the camps in a bid to stem a flow of&nbsp;asylum&nbsp;seekers making dangerous voyages by boat to its shores.

Under its &quot;sovereign borders&quot; immigration policy, Australia refuses to land&nbsp;asylum&nbsp;seekers arriving by sea, instead of sending them to the offshore camps.

&#39;We won&#39;t be pressurised&#39;

Witnesses in the camp said officials in army fatigues led away Kurdish journalist Behrouz Boochani, who has been at the camp for four years and regularly posts social media messages on conditions.

Boochani earlier told Reuters by text message that police and immigration officials removed water supplies and the men&#39;s belongings.

Pictures sent via a messaging service showed upturned boxes of food and torn parcels of rice and instant noodles and smashed furniture including broken beds.

PNG&rsquo;s Supreme Court ruled last year that the center, first opened in 2001, breached its laws and fundamental human rights, leading to the decision to close it.

But the&nbsp;asylum&nbsp;seekers say they fear for their safety if moved to a transit center also on the island, and risk being resettled in PNG or another developing nation permanently.

&quot;We don&#39;t want another prison. We want to leave this place, but they need to give a good solution for us,&quot; the first&nbsp;asylum-seeker said.

&quot;We don&#39;t want another prison. We want a third country.&quot;

Most of those in the camp are from Afghanistan, Iran, Myanmar, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Syria.

Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull told reporters in Canberra on Thursday that the transit center facilities had food, water, security and medical services.

&quot;They think this is some way they can pressure the Australian government to let them come to Australia. Well, we will not be pressured,&quot; Turnbull said.

The United Nations has urged Australia to accept an offer by New Zealand to take some of the men.

About 380?asylum?seekers have shut themselves inside the Manus Island Centre for more than three weeks

Papua New Guinea police sealed off an officially shuttered Australia-run detention camp on Thursday and ordered asylum seekers occupying it to leave as they confiscated food and water the men had stockpiled, asylum seekers told Reuters. About 380 asylum seekers have shut themselves inside the Manus Island Centre for more than three weeks, defying attempts by Australia and Papua New Guinea (PNG) to close it in a standoff the United Nations described as a "looming humanitarian crisis". "They destroyed our food and damaged our accommodation too, they destroyed our water tank," one asylum-seeker said in a mobile telephone message from the camp. The asylum seekers said police confiscated the food and water they had stockpiled × Many of the men climbed onto rooftops and hid in toilets, he said. Three other asylum seekers gave similar accounts of the police action. A video shot by Sudanese refugee Abdul Aziz and posted on Facebook showed police using a megaphone to tell the asylum seekers to leave because their stay at the camp, located on land used by the PNG navy, was illegal. The footage he later posted on Twitter showed men boarding minibusses and buses. Tim Costello, chief advocate at the World Vision Australia aid group, told Reuters by phone from outside the camp that he had seen buses leaving. Calls to PNG immigration and police were not returned. The Manus island camp in PNG, and another on the tiny Pacific island nation of Nauru, have been the cornerstones of Australia’s controversial immigration policy, which has been strongly criticized by the United Nations and rights groups. Australia opened the camps in a bid to stem a flow of asylum seekers making dangerous voyages by boat to its shores. Under its "sovereign borders" immigration policy, Australia refuses to land asylum seekers arriving by sea, instead of sending them to the offshore camps. 'We won't be pressurised' Witnesses in the camp said officials in army fatigues led away Kurdish journalist Behrouz Boochani, who has been at the camp for four years and regularly posts social media messages on conditions. Boochani earlier told Reuters by text message that police and immigration officials removed water supplies and the men's belongings. Pictures sent via a messaging service showed upturned boxes of food and torn parcels of rice and instant noodles and smashed furniture including broken beds. PNG’s Supreme Court ruled last year that the center, first opened in 2001, breached its laws and fundamental human rights, leading to the decision to close it. But the asylum seekers say they fear for their safety if moved to a transit center also on the island, and risk being resettled in PNG or another developing nation permanently. "We don't want another prison. We want to leave this place, but they need to give a good solution for us," the first asylum-seeker said. "We don't want another prison. We want a third country." Most of those in the camp are from Afghanistan, Iran, Myanmar, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Syria. Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull told reporters in Canberra on Thursday that the transit center facilities had food, water, security and medical services. "They think this is some way they can pressure the Australian government to let them come to Australia. Well, we will not be pressured," Turnbull said. The United Nations has urged Australia to accept an offer by New Zealand to take some of the men.

Papua New Guinea police enter shut Australia-run detention camp, order protesting asylum seekers out

A Turkish military helicopter landed in Greece today carrying eight men seeking asylum after a coup bid, Greek police said.&nbsp; 
 
The Black Hawk helicopter landed after sending a distress signal to authorities at the airport in Alexandroupolis in the country&#39;s north.&nbsp; 
 
Seven of those on board were in military uniform and all are believed to have been involved in the attempted putsch, ERT TV said.&nbsp; 
 
Turkey&#39;s foreign minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said Ankara had asked Athens to send back the eight coup plotters. 
 
&quot;We have requested Greece to extradite the eight traitors as soon possible,&quot; Cavusoglu was quoted as telling HaberTurk television. 
 
According to an official in the Greek National Defence general staff, &quot;the helicopter is scheduled to be sent back immediately to Turkey&quot;.&nbsp; 
 
Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras expressed his &quot;support for the democratically elected&quot; Turkish government.&nbsp; 
 
(AFP)

Turkey's foreign minister Mevlut Cavusoglu asked Greece to send back the escaped soldiers as quickly as possible

A Turkish military helicopter landed in Greece today carrying eight men seeking asylum after a coup bid, Greek police said. The Black Hawk helicopter landed after sending a distress signal to authorities at the airport in Alexandroupolis in the country's north. Seven of those on board were in military uniform and all are believed to have been involved in the attempted putsch, ERT TV said. Turkey's foreign minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said Ankara had asked Athens to send back the eight coup plotters. "We have requested Greece to extradite the eight traitors as soon possible," Cavusoglu was quoted as telling HaberTurk television. According to an official in the Greek National Defence general staff, "the helicopter is scheduled to be sent back immediately to Turkey". Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras expressed his "support for the democratically elected" Turkish government. (AFP)

Turkish military helicopter lands in Greece, 8 soldiers request asylum

The&nbsp;European&nbsp;Commission&nbsp;proposed more unified EU asylum rules on Wednesday, in a bid to stop people waiting for refugee status moving around the bloc and disrupting its passport-free zone.

In an unprecedented wave of migration last year, 1.3 million people reached the EU and most ignored legal restrictions, trekking from the Mediterranean coast to apply for asylum in wealthy Germany, prompting some EU countries to suspend the Schengen Area system that allows free passage between most EU states.

&quot;The changes will create a genuine common asylum procedure,&quot; said EU Migration&nbsp;Commissioner Dimitris Avramopoulos. &quot;At the same time, we set clear obligations and duties for asylum seekers to prevent secondary movements and abuse of procedures.&quot;

The United Nations refugee agency UNHCR said it had concerns about the new rules and said the new system must not lower standards of protection and asylum.

The proposal would standardise refugee reception facilities across the bloc and unify the level of state support they can get, setting common rules on residence permits, travel papers, access to jobs, schools, social welfare and healthcare.

It would grant prospective refugees swifter rights to work, but also put more obligations on them, meaning that if they do not cooperate with the authorities or head to an EU state of their choice rather than staying put, their asylum application could be jeopardised.

The five-year waiting period after which refugees are eligible for long-term residence would be restarted if they move from their designated country, the&nbsp;Commission&nbsp;said.

UNHCR spokesman William Spindler said people should be dissuaded from such movements, not punished.

The proposal also spells out more cases in which asylum seekers could be detained, something Jean Lambert, a British Green Party member of the&nbsp;European&nbsp;Parliament, said showed the EU was taking the wrong attitude to people seeking sanctuary.

&quot;The EU has justifiably come under fire for its response to the refugee crisis but today&#39;s proposals ... will do nothing to allay this,&quot; she said, accusing the&nbsp;Commission&nbsp;of seeking to curb the rights of asylum seekers and &quot;an obsession with punitive measures&quot;.

&quot;People are fleeing because their lives are threatened and homes being destroyed, not because the EU&#39;s asylum system is gold plated - it&#39;s not!&quot;

The plan, which will be reviewed by EU governments and the&nbsp;European&nbsp;Parliament, comes after Brussels proposed in May a system for distributing asylum seekers, an idea opposed by eastern EU states which refuse to accept refugees.

Only 3,056 people have so far been relocated under the scheme that was meant for 160,000 people, the&nbsp;Commission&nbsp;said. Hungary and Slovakia have challenged the system in the courts.

UNHCR wants the EU to drop the first country of arrival principle and distribute asylum seekers among EU member states.

Asked whether Brussels would punish countries, including Poland and the Czech Republic, for not complying, Avramopoulos said: &quot;We&#39;re not here to punish, we are here to persuade. But if this persuasion doesn&#39;t succeed, then yes, we&#39;re thinking of doing that. But we&#39;re not there yet.&quot;

&nbsp;

Safe List

Last year&#39;s record arrivals triggered bitter political disputes in the EU, where the wealthier states which ended up hosting most of the people accused the newer members in the east of showing no solidarity.

A deal with Turkey in March has since cut the arrivals to Greece to a trickle, but has prompted concerns about human rights.

Unlike the Turkey route, however, which mainly brought Syrians and other people with a strong cases for asylum into Europe, the bloc is now worried over a rise in arrivals from Africa through Libya. Most people on that route do not qualify for asylum and, under the EU rules, should be sent back.

The&nbsp;Commission&nbsp;wants to draw up lists of &quot;safe countries&quot; outside the bloc, which would help EU states return people, after Athens&#39; refusal to recognise Turkey as such a place hindered deportations from the Greek islands back to Turkey.

So-called safe countries should only be an option where &quot;precise, impartial, and up-to-date information is available on the safety of a particular country&quot;, UNHCR&#39;s Spindler said.

&quot;An applicant must have an effective opportunity to rebut the presumption of safety in light of their individual circumstances, and the safe country concepts should not apply to vulnerable applicants.&quot;

To discourage chaotic flows by facilitating legal migration, the&nbsp;Commission&nbsp;also proposed an EU-wide system for resettlement directly from refugee camps. It said Brussels would pay 10,000 Euros for each person EU states bring in.

But Slovakia, the current holder of the EU&#39;s rotating presidency, was sceptical on chances for unified asylum system.

&quot;We can only talk about real burden-sharing when the quality of life is the same in all EU states,&quot; said Bernard Priecel, head of Slovakia&#39;s migration service. &quot;Otherwise we will always have secondary movements. How can you force them to stay?&quot; 
 
(Reuters)

The proposal would standardise refugee reception facilities across the bloc, and unify the level of state support they can receive

The European Commission proposed more unified EU asylum rules on Wednesday, in a bid to stop people waiting for refugee status moving around the bloc and disrupting its passport-free zone. In an unprecedented wave of migration last year, 1.3 million people reached the EU and most ignored legal restrictions, trekking from the Mediterranean coast to apply for asylum in wealthy Germany, prompting some EU countries to suspend the Schengen Area system that allows free passage between most EU states. "The changes will create a genuine common asylum procedure," said EU Migration Commissioner Dimitris Avramopoulos. "At the same time, we set clear obligations and duties for asylum seekers to prevent secondary movements and abuse of procedures." The United Nations refugee agency UNHCR said it had concerns about the new rules and said the new system must not lower standards of protection and asylum. The proposal would standardise refugee reception facilities across the bloc and unify the level of state support they can get, setting common rules on residence permits, travel papers, access to jobs, schools, social welfare and healthcare. It would grant prospective refugees swifter rights to work, but also put more obligations on them, meaning that if they do not cooperate with the authorities or head to an EU state of their choice rather than staying put, their asylum application could be jeopardised. The five-year waiting period after which refugees are eligible for long-term residence would be restarted if they move from their designated country, the Commission said. UNHCR spokesman William Spindler said people should be dissuaded from such movements, not punished. The proposal also spells out more cases in which asylum seekers could be detained, something Jean Lambert, a British Green Party member of the European Parliament, said showed the EU was taking the wrong attitude to people seeking sanctuary. "The EU has justifiably come under fire for its response to the refugee crisis but today's proposals ... will do nothing to allay this," she said, accusing the Commission of seeking to curb the rights of asylum seekers and "an obsession with punitive measures". "People are fleeing because their lives are threatened and homes being destroyed, not because the EU's asylum system is gold plated - it's not!" The plan, which will be reviewed by EU governments and the European Parliament, comes after Brussels proposed in May a system for distributing asylum seekers, an idea opposed by eastern EU states which refuse to accept refugees. Only 3,056 people have so far been relocated under the scheme that was meant for 160,000 people, the Commission said. Hungary and Slovakia have challenged the system in the courts. UNHCR wants the EU to drop the first country of arrival principle and distribute asylum seekers among EU member states. Asked whether Brussels would punish countries, including Poland and the Czech Republic, for not complying, Avramopoulos said: "We're not here to punish, we are here to persuade. But if this persuasion doesn't succeed, then yes, we're thinking of doing that. But we're not there yet." Safe List Last year's record arrivals triggered bitter political disputes in the EU, where the wealthier states which ended up hosting most of the people accused the newer members in the east of showing no solidarity. A deal with Turkey in March has since cut the arrivals to Greece to a trickle, but has prompted concerns about human rights. Unlike the Turkey route, however, which mainly brought Syrians and other people with a strong cases for asylum into Europe, the bloc is now worried over a rise in arrivals from Africa through Libya. Most people on that route do not qualify for asylum and, under the EU rules, should be sent back. The Commission wants to draw up lists of "safe countries" outside the bloc, which would help EU states return people, after Athens' refusal to recognise Turkey as such a place hindered deportations from the Greek islands back to Turkey. So-called safe countries should only be an option where "precise, impartial, and up-to-date information is available on the safety of a particular country", UNHCR's Spindler said. "An applicant must have an effective opportunity to rebut the presumption of safety in light of their individual circumstances, and the safe country concepts should not apply to vulnerable applicants." To discourage chaotic flows by facilitating legal migration, the Commission also proposed an EU-wide system for resettlement directly from refugee camps. It said Brussels would pay 10,000 Euros for each person EU states bring in. But Slovakia, the current holder of the EU's rotating presidency, was sceptical on chances for unified asylum system. "We can only talk about real burden-sharing when the quality of life is the same in all EU states," said Bernard Priecel, head of Slovakia's migration service. "Otherwise we will always have secondary movements. How can you force them to stay?" (Reuters)

EU proposes new asylum rules to stop migrants crossing Europe

Hungary passed a law on Monday that allows police to send back illegal migrants detained within eight kilometres (five miles) of its southern frontier to the Serbian side of the border fence, drawing criticism from the U.N. refugee agency. 
 
A razor-wire fence built along Hungary&#39;s southern border with Serbia and Croatia has helped to reduce sharply the flow of migrants from the hundreds of thousands who last year migrated from the Balkans towards northern Europe, especially Germany. 
 
However, a steady trickle of migrants is still arriving at Hungary&#39;s border with Serbia. Budapest has set up two transit zones there where migrants can submit a request for asylum. 
 
&quot;The aim... is to allow (the authorities) to escort back across the gates of the border defence facility third-country nationals who are in Hungary illegally and who were detained within eight km of the border,&quot; the reasoning of the law said. 
 
Serbian officials were not immediately available to comment. 
 
So far&nbsp;this year&nbsp;Hungary has registered 19,140 asylum applications and more than 14,000 migrants have crossed its southern borders illegally, according to government data. 
 
Hungary has recently limited the number of daily admissions into the transit zone to a maximum of 30, government spokesman Zoltan Kovacs said last week. He added that Hungary was following European and international law as well as Hungarian protocols for admission. 
 
That narrow bottleneck has caused migrants to amass in makeshift camps near the transit zones. The camps are still on Hungarian territory but on the southern side of the fence. 
 
The U.N. refugee agency said the new law approved by Hungary&#39;s parliament would only exacerbate the situation of those waiting to be able to submit an asylum application. 
 
Erno Simon, a UNHCR spokesman in Budapest, said it would force migrants to wait outside the transit zones and could prompt many to turn to human traffickers. 
 
&quot;Obviously, this will only exacerbate the inhumane conditions at the two transit zones,&quot; Simon said. 
 
Another rights group, the Hungarian Helsinki Committee, accused the government of wanting to keep the number of migrants as low as possible. 
 
Helsinki Committee co-chair Marta Pardavi said that, based on the new legislation, police would escort migrants back to the other side of the fence to the transit zones where they would have to queue without basic amenities. This way migrants would basically be &quot;booted out&quot; of the country, said Pardavi. 
 
&quot;Instead of providing proper treatment and procedures prescribed by law, the aim is to have ... no asylum seekers arriving in Hungary,&quot; she further added.

According to U.N. refugee agency, the new migrant law in Hungry will worsen the situation for those waiting to submit asylum application

Hungary passed a law on Monday that allows police to send back illegal migrants detained within eight kilometres (five miles) of its southern frontier to the Serbian side of the border fence, drawing criticism from the U.N. refugee agency. A razor-wire fence built along Hungary's southern border with Serbia and Croatia has helped to reduce sharply the flow of migrants from the hundreds of thousands who last year migrated from the Balkans towards northern Europe, especially Germany. However, a steady trickle of migrants is still arriving at Hungary's border with Serbia. Budapest has set up two transit zones there where migrants can submit a request for asylum. "The aim... is to allow (the authorities) to escort back across the gates of the border defence facility third-country nationals who are in Hungary illegally and who were detained within eight km of the border," the reasoning of the law said. Serbian officials were not immediately available to comment. So far this year Hungary has registered 19,140 asylum applications and more than 14,000 migrants have crossed its southern borders illegally, according to government data. Hungary has recently limited the number of daily admissions into the transit zone to a maximum of 30, government spokesman Zoltan Kovacs said last week. He added that Hungary was following European and international law as well as Hungarian protocols for admission. That narrow bottleneck has caused migrants to amass in makeshift camps near the transit zones. The camps are still on Hungarian territory but on the southern side of the fence. The U.N. refugee agency said the new law approved by Hungary's parliament would only exacerbate the situation of those waiting to be able to submit an asylum application. Erno Simon, a UNHCR spokesman in Budapest, said it would force migrants to wait outside the transit zones and could prompt many to turn to human traffickers. "Obviously, this will only exacerbate the inhumane conditions at the two transit zones," Simon said. Another rights group, the Hungarian Helsinki Committee, accused the government of wanting to keep the number of migrants as low as possible. Helsinki Committee co-chair Marta Pardavi said that, based on the new legislation, police would escort migrants back to the other side of the fence to the transit zones where they would have to queue without basic amenities. This way migrants would basically be "booted out" of the country, said Pardavi. "Instead of providing proper treatment and procedures prescribed by law, the aim is to have ... no asylum seekers arriving in Hungary," she further added.

New law allows Hungary police to return migrants beyond border fence

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