CFU Applauds Georgetown Law Students’ Advocacy for Uyghur Asylum Seekers

  • May 11, 2024

CFU PRESS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

May 9, 2024, 3:00 PM EST

contact@campaignforuyghurs.org

+1 650-703-4523

https://campaignforuyghurs.org 

 

Washington, D.C. – Campaign for Uyghurs (CFU) praises Georgetown University community members for their advocacy in expediting Uyghur asylum claims. Georgetown Law students, mentored by Human Rights Initiative Executive Director Elisa Massimino and Distinguished Fellow and CFU Advisory Board Member Scott Busby, recently drafted a compelling letter to Secretary Mayorkas of the Department of Homeland Security, detailing the severe circumstances faced by Uyghurs and other ethnic Turkic groups in the Uyghur region and the urgency of processing their asylum claims swiftly.

In addition to Ms. Massimino and Mr. Busby, the letter was signed by Thomas Kellogg, Executive Director of the Center for Asian Law at Georgetown University Law Center; James Millward, Professor at the Walsh School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University; and Andrew Schoenholtz, Professor from Practice and Faculty Director at the Center for Applied Legal Studies and the Human Rights Institute, Georgetown University Law Center.

The letter presents a solid legal argument based on U.S. asylum law outlined in 8 C.F.R. § 208.13(b)(2)(iii)(A). This provision allows asylum for individuals who can demonstrate a consistent pattern of persecution against their group based on race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group, or political opinion. Given the U.S. State Department’s designation of the situation in the Uyghur region as genocide, the letter argues that Uyghur applicants need only prove their identity to establish eligibility for asylum. The Georgetown Law students who penned the letter also attended CFU’s launch event of the Congressional Uyghur Caucus on April 16th to observe and contribute to renewed efforts to address the humanitarian crisis affecting Uyghurs.

Rushan Abbas, Executive Director of Campaign for Uyghurs, praised the effort, saying, “We commend the passion and commitment of these members of the Georgetown community, who have highlighted a critical issue at a pivotal moment. Our community is facing ongoing genocide, and only a handful of Uyghurs are currently undergoing the asylum process and have been able to obtain permanent protection. As members of the global community, we must ensure that their cries for help are heard and acted upon. We must all stand together to urge the Department of Homeland Security to take into consideration the severity of the Uyghur crisis, adopt a favorable interpretation of current law, and prioritize the asylum applications of Uyghurs and members of other Turkic groups.”

CFU also calls on like-minded individuals, organizations, and advocates worldwide to support this necessary change.

Picture of Jacob

Sabrina

Campaign for Uyghurs

We defend the human rights of Uyghur people and the free world by exposing and confronting the Chinese government's genocide, and empowering Uyghur women and youth in the diaspora.

Donate Now

READ MORE

Forced Labor, Coercive Land-Use Transfers, and Forced Assimilation in Xinjiang’s Agricultural Production
Located in the northwest of China, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region boasts long hours of sunshine and ample water for irrigation — making the region geographically ideal for growing cotton. Cotton grown in Xinjiang, which has good coloration and long fiber, is favored in both domestic and foreign markets.
‘This Has Been Delayed For Too Long’
Source: RFA Rushan Abbas, a former broadcaster for RFA’s Uyghur Service and the director of the U.S.-based Campaign for Uighurs exile group, recently testified at the U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations in Washington about rights violations in northwest China’s
Uyghurs in Exile Launch Campaign Calling on China to Release Video of Missing Family Members
Source: RFA More than a dozen ethnic Uyghurs living in exile have called on China to release video of family members held in political “re-education camps” in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR) after Chinese state media published what it
Tough Curbs on Burials
Source: RFA HONG KONG—Ethnic minority Uyghurs from the far-west Chinese city of Urumqi say authorities attach strict conditions when they release the bodies of Uyghurs who die in custody. Hundreds of Uyghurs were detained as part of a broad crackdown
I’ve fought China’s slow-motion genocide of Uighur Muslims. Now, my family are victims.
Source: USA Today   The world is finally waking up to the ongoing and terrifying violations of human rights against the Uighurs — a Muslim minority in Northwest China. My own family is victim to these violations. As both an American citizen and
Remarks by Ambassador Sam Brownback at Taipei Religious Freedom Conference
Remarks by Ambassador Sam Brownback at Taipei Religious Freedom Conference March 11, 2019 I would like to thank President Tsai’s comments and her for taking the time to be here out of her busy schedule. I can’t help but just
On Capitol Hill, persecuted Muslims unite to protect religious minorities’ rights
(RNS) — More than 125 members of the minority Ahmadi Muslim sect spent Monday (April 1) on Capitol Hill advocating for international religious freedom causes — particularly lending their voices on behalf of beleaguered Uighur Muslims. As part of its
As Countries Seek Trade With China, Imprisoned Uyghur Community Has Become “Collateral Damage”
China’s top trade negotiator is traveling to Washington this week as tension over trade intensifies between the two nations. President Trump is threatening to impose a 25 percent tariff on nearly all Chinese imports after the U.S. accused China of

STAY
INFORMED

Add your name to our mailing list so we can keep you updated about upcoming events, speciality drives, new initiatives and more.