October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month, hence a perfect time to remind ourselves about the need to continue to spread the word to create a violence free community, and also help victims regain freedom from their abusers.
This specific post was influenced by a post that I came across on my Facebook timeline, shared by Esther Ijewere, the Editor in Chief of Women of Rubies and the national coordinator of Walk Against Rape, Nigeria.
The post entitled, Chris Attoh and the Entitlement mentality of African Men” by Gabriel Olatunji-Legend reiterated one of the points that I usually make whenever I presented on the subject of domestic violence and its intersection with human trafficking.
I particularly liked a statement, that I have turned into a quote by Gabriel Olatunji-Legend. It stated: “It takes a man that is ready to die for her and a woman that is ready to submit to such a die-hard man” to make a successful marriage.
Unfortunately, Bible quotes and cultural beliefs are used to keep a woman in a domestic violence relationship. The man, as Olatunji-Legend rightfully puts it, feels entitled, forgetting that the woman is equally a human being with a fundamental human right just like him.
You even have the cycle of abuse going from generation to generation where mothers tell their daughters that marriage is like a, “School where you go to, but never graduates from, and where whatever is done to you, either good or bad, must remain a secret that you must not share, even with your own family members, talkless of outsiders.” For better understanding, let me rephrase this in my Yoruba language, “Ile oko, ile eko ni. Ohun ti oju re ba ri ni’be, ko fara mo ni. Eti keji ko gbodo gbo o.”
Starting from the Bible, as quoted by Chris Attoh, it does not only give instruction to the woman but also the man. Unfortunately, Chris forgot to quote the part meant for the man to tell whether he was sincere and did his part as a man has been required to do according to the Bible. You can read the Bible verse in Ephesians 5: 22 & 25:
“22 Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord….25 Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;….”King James Version (KJV) Bible Gateway.
As you can read in the scriptural verses above, the Bible gave instructions to both the woman and the man. It is however, surprising that men from some cultures focus only on the “submissive part of the woman” rather than on the “love part of the man and giving of his life for the woman.”
I think that when we read this kinds of statement from a man, there is evidence of violence in the relationship. He has shown control in the way he negotiates in a relationship, rather than working as partners, and giving equal respect in order to have a violence free relationship.
This kinds of stories bring me back the memory lane when I was suffering as a victim of human trafficking and domestic violence. One of the manipulative ways used to keep me silenced was the same phrase that a woman must be submissive to her husband, and I was asked to kneel down and beg when I was the one being abused.
Imprisoned: The Travails of a Trafficked Victim was first published in 2009, and it is still a very relevant text today, eight years after. That is why I have published a second edition that does not alter any of the chapter, but included discussion questions for students, teachers, service providers staff, law enforcement, book clubs, and several other groups, who are interested in educating themselves about the subject of domestic violence and human trafficking, specifically labor trafficking.
You can pre-order your kindle version here.
Thank you for reading. Kindly leave your questions, comments, and suggestions below. Until next time.
Bukola
3 Types of visas for victims of human trafficking, domestic violence, and other crimes
When I was suffering as a victim of human trafficking and domestic violence for two years, I did not know that help was available. And, when I started helping others get help, one hundred per cent of them doubted that they could be free from their misery. I wrote about a particular person who was one of those that have received help through my story in one of my previous blogs. You can read about Hope in my article entitled, It’s world day against trafficking in persons: A personal reflection.
In today’s blog, I will be writing about the three types of visa that victims of crime, including human trafficking, domestic violence, and other types of crime can apply for to help set free like me and many others in the United States. These visas are the T, U, and VAWA visas. But first, I will like to quickly note that this piece is for informational purposes. Every case is unique and dealt with according to the discretion of the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) based upon evidence presented to them. I will recommend speaking with an immigration lawyer to assess your case for validity.
T Visa
It is a non-immigrant visa that allows a victim of human trafficking remain and work in the United States legally for four years. It can lead to a permanent resident status, that is, the recipient is allowed to change his or her status from non-immigrant by applying for a green card. Qualifying family members of the T-Visa recipient can also be granted temporary status in the United States.
The annual cap for T-Visa is 5000. this means that if this cap has been reached in a year, other qualified applicants will be put on a waiting list until the following year.
U Visa
Like the T-Visa, a U-Visa recipient can also remain and work in the United States for four years after which he or she can apply for a green card as a permanent resident. Qualifying family members can also be granted status in the United States.
Unlike the T-Visa, there is a 10,000 cap for the U-Visa applicants. Other eligible applicants also have to wait until the following year once the limit has been reached in a year.
According to the USCIS, the intent of the T and U visas
- Provides temporary status to certain victims of human trafficking and other qualifying crimes.
- Strengthens law enforcement’s ability to investigate and prosecute human trafficking and other crimes.
- Encourages trafficked, exploited, and abused victims to report crimes, even if they don’t have lawful immigration status.
VAWA
It is called Violence Against Women Act (VAWA), however, this visa is not only issued to women but also men. It is also available to children and elder parents who have suffered domestic violence in the hands of their family members in the United States. Unlike the T and U Visas that grant nonimmigrant status to the recipient, VAWA grants a green card to the recipient.
Evidence
Providing required evidence is helpful to the victim. USCIS requires victims to write their own stories in addition to affidavits from friends and families who are aware of the crime. Providing evidence from law enforcement, healthcare and social service providers are also vital in the process of getting restitution for a victim of human trafficking or domestic violence.
Family and Friends
Family and friends play important roles in helping victims of human trafficking and domestic violence. Therefore, if you have a family member or friend who might be a victim, you can help the person break free by sharing this kinds of information with them and also supporting them when they need an affidavit from you to make their case.
I will like to note here again like I have mentioned earlier that this article is just for information purpose. I am not an immigration lawyer. Seek the help of an immigration lawyer if you or someone you know might be a victim of human trafficking or domestic violence.
However, The Enitan Story is a Minnesota based nonprofit organization that provides direct services and referrals to victims of human trafficking and domestic violence. You can reach the organization by sending an email to info@enitan.org and you could be referred to legal service providers close to you if you are not in Minnesota.
For more detail and the kinds of forms to file and evidence to provide, you can download a document provided by the USCIS here.
Thanks for reading. I hope to talk to you again through my blogs. If you have questions, comments or suggestions, please, send me a note – fill out the contact form. I want to hear from you. You can also get my recent posts by signing up to receive updates.
Bye for now, until next time.