In some parts of Africa, Albinism can be a death sentence. A Canadian organization that advocates for people with Albinism (“PWA”), Under the Same Sun, reports on the dire situation of Albinos in Tanzania:
[The sale of Albino body parts is] driven by the belief (in some areas of the country) that the body parts of PWA possess magical powers capable of bringing riches if used in potions produced by local witchdoctors. Between 2007 & the present, official reports indicate that 68 PWA have been brutally attacked and their body parts hacked off and sold to witchdoctors. Of the 68 attacks, 59 were murders and 9 are mutilated survivors. Leaders in the albinism community believe the actual number of attacks & deaths are closer to 100 or more. Reports also indicate that albino body parts are being exported outside of Tanzania. In one instance, a Tanzanian trader was caught travelling to the Democratic Republic of the Congo with the head of an infant with albinism in his possession. He told police that a businessman there was going to pay him for the head according to its weight.
The problem exists to varying degrees in different countries throughout sub-Saharan Africa. Earlier this month, an Albino man from Nigeria received Withholding of Removal from an Immigration Court in Florida.
As an aside, the issue of Albino people seeking asylum has recently gotten some popular attention. Earlier this year, an NBC show called Harry’s Law, which stars Kathy Bates as a “misfit lawyer,” featured a story about four young people with Albinism seeking asylum from Tanzania. I must admit that I’ve never seen the show (I am still afraid of Kathy Bates thanks to her role in the movie Misery), but it looks like Matlock with a social conscience. Anyway, if you are interested, you can learn more about the episode here (and by the way, the immigration trial seems completely unrealistic – the Judge finds that the case is a toss-up, so he will rule based on the current national consensus on immigration – maybe you can guess how it turns out).
Fortunately for Mr. Ibeabuchi, he will be able to remain safely in the United States with his family, and congratulations to the Florida Coastal School of Law on their important win.
I am a person with albinism currently on visit in the US, due to high level of discrimination and persecutions and stigmatization i anticipate seeking and asylum what is the first step that I must take to kick off the process and what might be the related cost to execute the process?
If you can, talk to a lawyer about the specifics of the case. Some lawyers have free initial consultations. You can also look for a non-profit to help with the case. I wrote about that on September 22, 2016 with lists of non-profits by state. The form you need to file is the I-589, available at http://www.uscis.gov, and you can take a look at that and the instructions, which will give you an idea about the process. I did a post on November 6, 2019 that describes the asylum process, and maybe that would help too. Take care, Jason
Hello I’m a person also with albinism I just joined the usa and I would like to apply foe asylum
You can apply for asylum if you are in the US and fear that you will be harmed if you return to your country. We can do such a case or you can look for a local lawyer or a non-profit organization to help. If you want to contact me, my email is JDzubow@DzubowLaw.com. Take care, Jason
[…] Muti murder). People with albinism are particularly vulnerable to such attacks (I wrote about that here), and they would likely constitute a PSG under U.S. asylum law. But other people targeted in this […]
Hello Dear
I have one final question please.
I am about to come to US for a short trip. I can stay only for a month, and I wnat to apply for Asylum on the bases of Albinism before I go back. In this case, I have to wait for the decision home, not in US. Is this possible? And where is the best place in US to apply in?
Thank you very much
I think your plan will not work. If you want to seek asylum and then leave, you will need to file asylum, get the receipt, and then apply for Advance Parole (which give you permission to re-enter if you leave the US). To do all this and get the AP will probably take 5 or 6 months, so I think that filing for asylum and leaving in a month is not realistic. Take care, Jason
sorry I mean North Iraq
i am Albino man i want Asylum from nort iraq to America how i can got that
To obtain asylum here you must be physically present in the US, and you must show that you face persecution because of race, religion, nationality, political opinion or particular social group. An albino person might qualify for asylum under “particular social group.”
Can someone with albinism come to US with a tourist visa and get the asylum there?
If the person faces persecution in his/her country due to Albinism, then he can apply for asylum here and – depending on the level of the threat – it may be a very strong case. Take care, Jason
Good day sir I am an albino man i have been facing persecution and discrimination since I was born please I want to take a tourist visa and travel to Germany as soon as I get there I will seek asylum.please sir do you think that Germany will accept my offer
I do not know about asylum law in Germany, though it should be similar to the US. You might want to talk to a lawyer there before you travel to see what the lawyer thinks. In the US, I think an Albino person would likely have a strong asylum case, depending on how conditions are in the home country for people with Albinism. Take care, Jason
Can i know you on Facebook?
I think you can find Asylumist if you search on Facebook. Take care, Jason
Mr. Ibeabuchi,
I am a graduate student seeking to write a paper/power point on cultural diversities. I have been researching the Albino culture for a few years on NOAH.org, and other web sites as well as scholarly papers, etc., and would like a personal interview with you via on line or in person.
The Albino culture intrigues me because of the scientific studies done by anthropologist. If all humans orginated ” Out of Africa” then the so called ” white” race has to be the remenants of the albino gene. Though many scholars disagree, the fact remains that the ” white” people did not create themselves in Caucasia; but the African Albino migrated there and continued to migrate and regenerate into other parts of Europe and Asian countries.
I hope to prove by this interview that all humans were out of Africa and that the ” white” people are just as much African as the dark skinned African. A genetic influence does not change a person kinship. We are all human under one creator.
Sincerely,
Alfredia Sturrup