Voice of America reports:
Police in Ghana have arrested Liberian refugees who were leading protests at a camp outside the capital Accra. The refugees had refused to stop theit month long demonstration against a UN-funded repatriation program. The Liberians are against what is being called a voluntary repatriation program, which is set to expire at the end of June. Ghanaian officials say the Liberians will lose their refugee status and become illegal aliens if they stay in Ghana. The refugees are being offered a free trip and $100 by the U.N. refugee agency to resettle in Liberia, but they say it is not enough and they are afraid to return.
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Another interesting question to think about in this vein is the "immutably activist" asylee. In the US, many asylees are granted their status based on imputed political opinion. Some, however, obtain asylum status to have a stable refuge but don't cease their activist work in country of origin.
The asylum system is particularly ill-suited to this type of activist, as their asylee status or subsequent green card application can be placed in deep jeopardy if they repeatedly return to mobilize opposition in their native country. Of course satellite organizing, either by activating a protest base in country of refuge or organizing virtually is not only safer, but can potentially strengthen asylum claims.
The level of risk incurred to one's immigration status in either scenario is so different, it begs the question of whether the asylee who continues to organize on the ground should be treated with a different set of legal and procedural limitations.
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