Outcomes among Asylum Seekers in Atlanta, Georgia, 2003--2012

INTRODUCTION Asylum seekers face a wide array of challenges, including the need for a fair and just adjudication process. In the state of Georgia, the Atlanta Asylum Network addresses the needs of such individuals by providing them physical, psychological and gynecological assessments, the results of which are presented to the courts in the asylum appeal process. OBJECTIVE As a component of the Network's program evaluation, assess outcomes among asylum seekers using its services, as well as relation of outcomes to type of service provided, the individual's geographic origin and English language proficiency. METHODS A retrospective examination was conducted of program data gathered by the Network between 2003 and 2012. Subjects included asylum seekers who received assessments by the Network during this period. The primary variable of interest was the final case outcome, defined as determination of asylum status: granted, withholding of removal, administrative closure and prosecutorial discretion, denied or voluntary departure. Outcomes were subsequently collapsed into a single positive or negative outcome variable. Positive outcomes included asylum granted, removal withheld, administrative closure and prosecutorial discretion. Negative outcomes included asylum denied and voluntary departure. We conducted bivariate and multivariate analyses, relating final case outcomes to Network services, geographic origin and English language proficiency, among the key variables. RESULTS A total of 69 of 120 asylum seekers in the study had a known final case outcome, and of those, 63.8% (44) had a positive outcome; or 37% of the total number of asylum seekers (n = 120). Among the 20 who received 2 of the 3 types of assessment (physical, psychological, gynecological), 16 (80%) received a positive case outcome. Most persons with a known final outcome came from Africa (41), where 78% (32) of cases resulted positive. Asylum seekers not proficient in English were 2.4 times more likely to have a negative case outcome. CONCLUSION Network assessment appears to result in higher rates of positive case outcomes compared to the average for asylum seekers seen in the Atlanta circuit court. Areas for programmatic improvement include systematic followup and increased community awareness of Network services, since the Network may directly impact future case outcomes by offering assessment to more asylum seekers. Access to English language instruction and legal representation for asylum claimants may also contribute to more cases with positive outcomes. KEYWORDS Refugees, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), vulnerable populations, transients and migrants, human rights, human rights abuses, torture, PTSD, USA.