Saudi Woman Detained at Thai Airport

[NotYourCisterinAus]

Thought I'd share this here. A Saudi teenager has been detained en route to Australia, where she was hoping to claim asylum. Apparently she was fleeing an arranged marriage. She is now in immediate danger of being put on a flight back to Saudi Arabia where she is afraid her family will kill her:

www.smh.com.au/world/middle-east/i-am-afraid-my-family-will-kill-me-saudi-woman-en-route-to-australia-detained-in-bangkok-20190107-p50pwt.html

There's a petition to the UN at www.change.org/p/united-nations-asylum-for-rahaf?recruiter=87203387&utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=copylink&utm_campaign=share_petition if anybody wants to help

She's managed to stop herself being put on the flight they originally planned to deport her on. Hoping that the UNHCR will intervene today.

I've just been reading about that, I hope she's okay and isn't forced back. Is there anything ordinary us can do further than a petition? Would writing to my MP do anything for this sort of situation, more in the future than now I should imagine?

Also read about Dina Ali's treatment, which sounded just horrific www.hrw.org/news/2017/04/14/fleeing-woman-returned-saudi-arabia-against-her-will

Signed, and will share.

He compared her case to that of Dina Ali Lasloom, who was detained by Saudi officials in Manila when she tried to seek asylum in Australia in April last year. She was returned to her country and there is no knowledge of her whereabouts.

From that article.

She's in real danger - the Philippines are clearly not a safe transit space for Saudi women.

Apparently her father is an important official in Saudi Arabia so if she is sent back he will basically be able to do what he likes with impunity. I think her fear is entirely justified.

Reuters Top News
‏*@Reuters*
BREAKING: Thailand will not send Saudi woman fleeing family back to Kuwait on Monday due to safety concerns - immigration chief. More: reut.rs/2CUmBJ0

She is in danger and hope she is offered asylum

Thats fantastic! Her fears for her safety are entirely justified.

Where will she go, though? Saudi women are not safe in the US or UK.

Australia

Signed, hope she makes it to Australia safely

Well done her for being so resourceful and getting herself out. I think Twitter may have saved her life, if she hadn't been able to get her story out to the world I have very little doubt that she'd be back in KSA by now.

Yes Bangkok do not want the political embarrassment now her story has gone public.

This is so awful, she's just 18 years old. What a brave and resourceful young woman she is.

From a Melissa Fleming, a UNHCR official

Breaking: The Thai authorities have granted UNHCR, @Refugees access to Rahaf Mohammed Alqunun at Bangkok airport to assess her need for international refugee protection and find an immediate solution for her situation.

UNHCR consistently advocates that refugees and asylum seekers – having been confirmed or claimed to be in need of international protection – cannot be returned to their countries of origin according to the principle of non-refoulement.

Non-refoulement is an international principle that prevents States from expelling or returning persons to a territory where their life or freedom would be threatened.

twitter.com/melissarfleming/status/1082236586807492609

Sophie McNeill
@Sophiemcneill
2h2 hours ago
UN has arrived. They are interviewing Rahaf. They gave their word that she would remain in their custody & that she is now safe. This is what they promised @UNHCRThailand @Reaproy @melissarfleming

I think it would be an easy argument to say that every single Saudi woman in KSA has a legitimate claim to asylum elsewhere should they want it.

That’s country is so corrupt and deviant.
Glad that woman is getting help and not being sent back.
Has there been any news on princess latifa?

I'm very glad she's getting help. I don't know how much attention the Crown Prince and the Saudi nation pay to external views of them but hopefully acts like this will highlight how way off the mark they are with women.

Oh thank god. Was about to click the petition, then saw the update.

She's now in Thailand under UNHCR protection, so not a long term solution, but it's a start.

UNHCR have now recognised her as a refugee.

Rahaf al-Qunun: Saudi teenager given refugee status by the UN
www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2019/jan/09/rahaf-al-qurun-will-get-no-special-treatment-from-australia-peter-dutton-says

Saudi teenager Rahaf Mohammed al-Qunun has been found to be a refugee by the United Nations, and the Australian government will now consider her asylum request, according to the Department of Home Affairs.
[...]
The Department of Home Affairs said it “will consider this referral in the usual way, as it does with all UNHCR referrals”.

A UNHCR spokeswoman told the Guardian that Qunun would remain in their care until a long-term solution has been found. “She remains in a safe location in Bangkok for the time being,” she said.

One worrying comment on her Twitter is that the Saudi negotiator said they should have taken her phone instead of her passport; they are aware that being able to access social media worked in her favour.