Asylum Law is a fascinating field. I have practiced Asylum Law from the client's perspective, i.e. mostly behind bars. For a decade, I have approached about two dozen African, Asian and European nations to inquire about applying for poltical asylum. This resulted in my twice arriving at the border of a nation, Switzerland and The People's Republic of China, and requesting political asylum.
When I deplaned at Zurich in 2015 August, and proceeded to immigration, I was arriving on a flight from Asia. As I approached the border control official, I handed him my American passport and requested financial and political asylum. The official informed me that Switzerland doesn't recognise financial asylum, so I retracted that request.
Generally speaking, there are two ways one might apply for political asylum, at the border or from within a nation. After applying at the border in Switzerland, I was housed in a dormitory at Zurich airport for two weeks, and then admitted into Switzerland while my application was pending. I was told that the more destitute refugees apply at the border. More savvy applicants will enter Switzerland via a German land route, and then apply for asylum at an administrative office within Switzerland.
In autumn 2015, I approached almost a dozen embassies in Bern, including Russia's. One of the most courteous was the Turks. Lastly, for weeks, I badgered the PRC Embassy, so the PRC ought not to have been terribly surprised when I did what I said I was going to do.
I'm often amazed at how many people are surprised when I do what I say. Understandably, the things I say I am going to do are not the most run of the mill. I suspect, if these unbelievers were there with me when I did everything leading up to me saying what I am going to do, much less doing everything after I said it, they might be less surprised the next time I say something they find surprising.
In December 2015, the Hong Kong border control official seemed fairly pleased by my request for asylum. The official kindly and gently escorted me to an office next to border control. As I was thinking, this seems to be going better than Switzerland, another official showed up, and seemed a bit amazed. That official was soon interrupted and politely dismissed by a third official who clearly knew how displeased the PRC authorities were about me & mine.
The PRC was less of an adventure. Having had my cherry popped in Switzerland, I wasn't expecting much from my PRC effort. I just couldn't go home to Japan with only one failure under my belt. I had to be certain. Moreover, by having a second failure, I was better aware of what I did properly and what, if anything, I did wrongly.
In summer 2017, I was on my way to the South African Embassy in Japan to apply for political asylum. Before I could arrive at the Embassy, I was detained and deported by the Japanese police. That was my third, hopefully last, deportation from Japan. One might understand my fear of American hegemony if I were to again try to approach South African officials about political asylum.
I have written previously about my gratitude for my 2017 'repatriation'. I was wrong. I gave the responsible party more credit than that person deserved. An error I also made with Mr. Obama.
I do no intend to request political asylum at my initial South African port of entry. If, at the time I enter South Africa for the first time, I am asked if I intend to apply for political asylum from within the country, I will honestly answer no. As for later visits, let's see what there is to see.
I've been told by readers of my memior, Zeroing Out, that my life reads like a spy novel. It doesn't feel like one. It's my life.
edited CE 2024 Jul 16
