20009: Laleau: Re: 19975: Durban: Opinion on Boat People Controversy (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: NLaleau@aol.com

In 1994 I helped about 30 people apply for political asylum. Talking with an
OIM/INS staffperson, I said they all had good cases, it was all political, the
persecution itself was political although indeed it often overlay economic
problems and conflicts with people who'd become FRAPHists who were seizing their
land & property. She said "So then we need to accept about 6,000,000 people
for political asylum?" or something like that. The same thing will apply to any
poor people who are victimized for trying to build organizations to protect
themselves from the predations of the lumpen gangs or the lumpen bourgeoisie.
But I don't think the INS will grant asylum on that basis. Or any basis.
--nlaleau