US Election Sparks Apprehension Among African Asylum Seekers

The impending presidential election in the United States has the potential to significantly alter the prospects for the increasing population of African asylum seekers and economic migrants residing in the country. Dr. Yves Kaduli, a 38-year-old asylum seeker from the Democratic Republic of Congo currently living in the US, stated, “We deserve safety.” In an interview with the BBC, he further expressed, “I have a dream that I will defend those that are persecuted.” Dr. Kaduli recounted that he departed eastern DR Congo in 2014, a region afflicted by nearly three decades of conflict, following an incident where he was kidnapped and subjected to torture. He had been employed as a physician at Cifunzi Hospital in Kalonge town, where he directly witnessed the repercussions of the conflict. He informed the BBC, “Women were raped. I saw it. I felt it in my body.” Dr. Kaduli explained that, appalled by the civilian deaths, he and numerous colleagues, among them Nobel Peace Prize laureate Dr. Denis Mukwege, took part in demonstrations opposing the killings and rapes perpetrated by armed factions. They criticized the administration of then-President Joseph Kabila for its inability to ensure public safety. The physician indicated that this involvement resulted in him becoming a target for unidentified individuals. Dr. Kaduli recalled, “They came, they took me and another colleague by force during our night shift,” further stating that they were subsequently transported to a temporary camp in a nearby forest, where they endured beatings, torture, and death threats. Dr. Kaduli mentioned that after being detained for a day, he succeeded in escaping and resolved to leave the country. Dr. Kaduli stated that he embarked on a five-year journey, leaving his mother and young son behind. His route initially took him through neighboring Rwanda, followed by flights to Cuba, Ecuador, and Nicaragua, before ultimately reaching the US-Mexico border in 2019. He described, “I remained on the border for at least a month, we were living in small tents in inhumane conditions.” Dr. Kaduli reported that he subsequently managed to enter the US and was held in detention for 15 months prior to his release. He currently resides in Virginia, employed as a medical technician, while awaiting a determination on his asylum application. Dr. Kaduli represents one of the thousands of African migrants who, despite significant challenges, undertake the arduous journey to the US-Mexico border annually. This figure is experiencing an increase. However, given that numerous Americans identify immigration as a primary issue in the current election, and both presidential contenders have pledged stricter border enforcement, African asylum seekers are apprehensive that public sentiment could become hostile towards them. Dr. Kaduli conveyed to the BBC, “We see our politicians criminalise our status, demonise our community and being a president, they can decide our future.” Data from US Customs and Border Protection indicates that approximately 13,000 African migrants were documented at the US-Mexico border in 2022. By 2023, this number had surged fourfold, reaching 58,000. The UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has noted a significant rise in asylum requests originating from West African nations like Senegal, Mauritania, and Guinea at the same border since 2022. Specifically, new asylum applications from Senegalese citizens alone escalated from 773 in 2022 to 13,224 in 2024. The World Bank reports that despite its relative stability, over one-third of Senegal’s population experiences poverty. An increasing proportion of young Senegalese individuals are opting to migrate to the US, preferring this over the more perilous journey to Europe across the Mediterranean Sea. They are selecting a route that is gaining popularity, disseminated via social media platforms such as TikTok, which involves transit through visa-friendly Nicaragua. In September 2023, over 140 Senegalese individuals were repatriated after crossing the Mexico-US border. Kathleen Bush-Joseph of the Migration Policy Institute, a non-partisan think-tank supported by research grants and foundations, stated that individuals arrive in the US for a combination of reasons. She explained, “People can be fleeing persecution and fleeing economic circumstances that make it difficult to feed their children. There are incentives to apply for asylum because they can get a work permit while they wait and that can really create a draw for people seeking to improve their lives.” Obtaining asylum successfully in the US presents particular difficulties for African migrants. Ms. Bush-Joseph noted that language barriers, the absence of an established community upon arrival, and insufficient understanding of African conflicts exacerbate the rigorous asylum process for Africans. She informed the BBC, “Judges and attorneys are often not familiar with the situations in some of the African countries that people are fleeing.” Furthermore, individuals who are deported face risks. In 2022, Human Rights Watch (HRW) published a report claiming that scores of asylum seekers from Cameroon were incarcerated, tortured, and raped following their return from the US border. HRW researcher Lauren Seigbert conveyed to the BBC, “People were deported directly back to harm and persecution and in contexts where there are ongoing conflicts and wide-spread human rights violations.” She further commented, “It’s just a huge risk to send people back.” Nils Kinuani, a federal policy manager at African Communities Together, an organization dedicated to assisting African asylum seekers and refugees in the US, stated that the discourse surrounding immigration during the election campaign has generated “great fear” within his community. Mr. Kinuani remarked, “People are fearful. There are concerns that refugee programmes could come under attack.” His organization, alongside others, is advocating for additional legal pathways to assist African migrants who dread deportation. Humanitarian parole status is one potential solution, offering legal protection to foreign nationals from nations experiencing crises like conflicts or natural disasters. The US government can grant this status, enabling at-risk individuals to temporarily reside and work in the US; existing programs cover Ukraine, Cuba, Nicaragua, Haiti, Venezuela, and Afghanistan. Currently, no official humanitarian parole programs exist between the US and any African nation. Mr. Kinuani also noted a degree of resentment regarding the treatment of Ukrainian refugees in contrast to other nationalities. He pointed out that merely weeks after the conflict began in Ukraine, nationals escaping the war became eligible to apply for humanitarian parole. He stated, “Ukrainian communities didn’t even need to ask or advocate for humanitarian parole. For a country like Sudan, we have to push.” The continuous conflict in Sudan has displaced nine million individuals from their residences since April 2023. Both the Democratic and Republican parties have prioritized immigration control and resolving the US-Mexico border crisis among their key campaign pledges. The official Republican National Committee’s 2024 Platform indicates that if Republican candidate and former President Donald Trump is elected, he would implement “the largest deportation operation in American history” and reintroduce border policies similar to those from his initial presidential term. Concurrently, Democratic candidate and Vice-President Kamala Harris has pledged to reactivate a bipartisan border security bill that did not pass Congress earlier this year. The White House stated that this bill would “increase asylum staffing” and guarantee a “faster and fairer” asylum process. However, the bill has drawn criticism from human rights organizations and the UN. The current administration of President Joe Biden, in which Harris serves, has already taken steps to tighten controls on migrants at the border. An executive order issued in June permits officials to promptly remove migrants who enter the US unlawfully without processing their asylum claims, provided a daily limit is reached and the border is deemed “overwhelmed.” US officials report that this measure has resulted in a significant decrease in the number of individuals attempting to enter the US via the border. Recent polling conducted by global analytics and advisory firm Gallup indicates that for the first time in nearly two decades, over half of Americans desire a reduction in US immigration levels, as opposed to maintaining or increasing them. Ms. Bush-Joseph observed, “In the US there is an increasing awareness that the asylum system is so overwhelmed and people are making claims because there aren’t other ways to come to the United States.” She added, “Frustration that people have about the dysfunction of the US immigration system does mean that there is concern about the number of people claiming asylum.” Presently, Dr. Kaduli remains in an uncertain state, potentially facing a four-to-ten-year wait for a ruling on his asylum request. He mentioned that his father died a few years ago, but his current legal standing prevents him from departing the country to visit his family. He stated, “I feel uncomfortable when my case is still pending and I see on the television the speech of politicians, but I know if I’m here it’s for a reason.” His primary aspiration is for his son and mother to eventually reunite with him in the US. He concluded, “I believe that America will give me the same values, to work for myself, to help my family, to participate in the economy of this country, so I’m between doubt and hope.” Anthony Zurcher, North America correspondent, provides analysis of the presidential race in his bi-weekly US Election Unspun newsletter. UK readers can subscribe here, while those outside the UK can sign up here. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC bears no responsibility for the content found on external websites. Information regarding our policy on external linking is available here.