Asylum for Women Fleeing Domestic Violence
Domestic violence against women and femicide are both horrific humanitarian violations that are entwined with migration. There is also an explicit correlation between rejection of asylum seekers and the rejection of women’s safety, in which “the countries most affected by high asylum application denial rates in 2020 are all in Latin America, including Honduras (87.3 percent), Guatemala (85.8 percent), Mexico (85 percent), and El Salvador (81.9 percent). These countries are also some of the most dangerous places in the world for women” (Christie, Lalinde). Women fleeing violence, on any scale, should maintain the right to seek asylum.
What is the role of the US government in protecting women from domestic abuse? Under the Trump administration, domestic abuse was not deemed as valid grounds for asylum, as it was determined to be a “private violence”, and could not be considered government-instituted persecution.
Biden, however, campaigned with a firm acknowledgment of the link between migration and violence against women. More than just a “private violence”, violence against women is a public health issue that warrants protection from the government. If women cannot find this protection with their own government, then granting asylum is our duty.
“There is an unshakable hypocrisy embedded in the fact that the women Biden committed to protecting, who are in more desperate need of protection because of the conditions perpetuated by the pandemic, are now being turned away because of it”
The persistence of Title 42, despite public health officials openly asking the Biden administration to recede the ban that includes asylum seekers is ironic, particularly in that it further denies the safety of women rather than improving it. The Biden administration campaigned on a platform that vowed both to protect women and to “listen to science”, yet the public health officials advocating to uphold humanitarian laws are ignored.
Further, domestic violence has risen globally during the pandemic. There is an unshakable hypocrisy embedded in the fact that the women Biden committed to protecting, who are in more desperate need of protection because of the conditions perpetuated by the pandemic, are now being turned away because of it. Biden pledged to rescind Trump’s stance towards asylum-seeking Domestic Violence victims, and to be a leader in preventing and decreasing violence against women. In failing to take action to ensure the urgent safety of increasing numbers of women, the core problems are perpetuated rather than prevented.
Kamala Harris’ statement telling migrants and refugees “do not come”, is yet another cry of inaction that rejects the humanitarian standards promised by the administration. Even more concerning is the effect of the first female Vice President of the United States making a statement that so blatantly rejects migrants and asylum seekers; thus, rejecting the interest of women’s safety, which is intrinsically entwined with the causes of migration and asylum-seeking.
It is far past time to hold the Biden administration accountable, and to reprioritize the safety of asylum-seekers and women.
