A new report from Human Rights Watch accuses the U.S. government of locking up refugees who miss paperwork deadlines. Between August and October 2009, the authors interviewed 17 refugees from countries including the Democratic Republic of Congo, Liberia and Sudan who were being held by immigration in Arizona and Pennsylvania because they’d failed to file for permanent status within the one-year deadline. The report concludes that between their limited English and the “often confusing” bureaucracy of the immigration system, some refugees have trouble completing this task, and are occasionally jailed for the offense.
Click here to read the report.
Use The Crime Report for more information on Immigration.