Speaker. I rise today to commend Fauziya Kasinga. a 19yearold woman from Togo. who was finally awarded the freedom for which she came to the United States. In a remarkable 11 to 1 decision. the Board of Immigration Appeals. the highest immigration court in the land. ruled in favor of Fauziya last week. In so doing. the Board established a precedent not only in Fauziyas case. but for future women who flee their countries of origin to avoid being subjected to female genital mutilation [FGM]. Although the Immigration and Naturalization Service [INS] had established guidelines in 1995 which state that FGM constitutes a form of political asylum. INS judges demonstrated various interpretations of such guidelines. In one occasion. a judge in Baltimore denied a womans petition for political asylum. under FGM. because the woman couldnt change her gender. but she could change her mind with regards toward FGM practices.
Keywords matched
immigration Naturalization Immigration