Many seeking asylum in the United States experience a cumbersome application process that includes gathering personal statements, witness affidavits, and supporting documents, and often end up having their application rejected. Application rejection can be due to various reasons, including a lack of supporting evidence. One form of evidence that can strengthen asylum applications and improve the chances of approval is a qualified clinician’s forensic evaluation.
Through a fall, 2023 Here and Next award, the Center for Human Rights, Gender and Migration, is working to formally establish the Asylum Support Initiative. In partnership with the WashU School of Law Immigration Law Clinic, the MICA Project, and practitioners from the WashU Medical School, this initiative aims to provide forensic medical and psychological evaluations for asylum seekers. The Asylum Support Initiative, which began informally in 2021, will now be operated from within the center, where forensic medical and psychological evaluations for asylum applications will be completed.
Data from a 2021 study reveals a compelling statistic: 81.6% of asylum seekers and other immigrants who obtained forensic medical evaluations were granted protection in the U.S. This starkly contrasts the 2008 through 2018 national asylum grant rate of 42.4%. The implication is clear: including a forensic evaluation in the asylum application can significantly increase the chances of approval. By volunteering to conduct these evaluations, health-care professionals and students can play a crucial role in strengthening asylum applications.
The Asylum Support Initiative aims to train and establish a roster of volunteers who can provide forensic medical and psychological evaluations for asylum seekers in the St. Louis area. These evaluations will help provide additional evidence and can subsequently help strengthen asylum applications. In addition to the evaluations, there will also be a research component to assess intervention impact.
The center is actively seeking various health-care professionals across WashU to join the Asylum Support Initiative. This can include physicians, psychologists, social workers, medical students, and other graduate students in relevant fields. Those interested in joining or learning more about the initiative can attend a virtual information session on June 26, from 10:30 to 11:00 a.m., via Zoom. This information session will provide additional details regarding volunteer responsibilities, training requirements, and more on the research component. On July 23, a one-day, in-person training will follow.
Interested participants can register for the ASI Information Session through June 26, at 10:00 a.m. Find additional details. Questions can be sent to Adriana Aramburu-Graypel, center manager, at centerforhumanrights@wustl.edu.