Dramatic rise in asylum backlog cases in the US

The U.S. system for asylum seekers still isn’t where it needs to be, and nothing exemplifies this more than one Syrian man who is trying to get his family into the United States. The 35-year-old man was able to get in to the country after fleeing the civil war that enveloped his country in 2012. By 2013, the 35-year-old — an educated and skilled man who ran his own importing business — was targeted by the Syrian Regime.

He was targeted after one of his business associates was captured, and so he told his wife and son to flee to Kuwait (where his wife had family) while he tried to work things out in Syria. Then his business associate was captured, and he had to flee. It’s been more then two years since he applied for asylum, and he still is in the dark on his application — and his family is still stuck in Kuwait.

This is just one of many stories that people who are awaiting on asylum status could tell. According to data on the asylum system, the number of pending asylum applications in the U.S. has increased 800 percent in just the last four years. The resources are lacking, and people are suffering as a result.

This isn’t right, and our immigration system needs to do more to help these people who are fleeing legitimate life-threatening situations. In addition, these individuals need the resources to live a life in the U.S. — the ability to get a license, the ability to work, and the ability to roam the streets freely without fear of being deported.

Source: International Business Times, “Immigration Reform 2015: US Asylum Backlogs Soaring, Testing Patience For Those Fleeing Persecution,” Brianna Lee, July 20, 2015