Survivors of torture unite in Baltimore

Political asylum seekers are those who if American -- would use their First Amendment rights to their fullest extent. They'd stand persistently vigilant as White House protestors. They'd launch letter-writing campaigns to their congressmen. They'd work to register under represented voting populations. They'd serve as leaders of human rights advocacy groups.

Instead, they're the subject of Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International reports of human rights violations in their home countries.

They're the people who gave activism a try back home -- whether that be anywhere from Burma to Eritrea -- and had their voices squelched by an oppressive governmental regime. Besides suppression of their message, punishment for their dissent was often inflicted through brutal physical torture.

As asylum seekers attempt to legally assimilate into the United States, they often struggle to find housing and employment. But the physical and psychological effects brought about by torture often further impede their process of resettlement.

Often their only hope is found through Advocates for Survivors of Torture and Trauma (ASTT), a Baltimore-based organization created to help alleviate the continued suffering that faces a population unrecognized by the government. Asylum seekers arrive at ASTT through referral by a lawyer, health care provider, refugee advocate or fellow refugee.

ASTT was founded in 1987, grassroots style, with the mission of providing a comprehensive treatment for those who were victims of torture in their countries of origin.

"We realized that there are a number of people in our geographic area who were not refugees but asylum seekers," said Karen Hanscom, director of ASTT. "Regardless of whether a person gets asylum or not we provide assistance," she said.

There are 500,000 survivors of torture and war-related trauma currently residing in the U.S., according to a report by the Office of Refugee Resettlement. Around 40,000 of these live in the Baltimore/Washington area. ASTT currently serves over 180 of those victims.

Serving asylum-seeking populations throughout Maryland, Washington, D.C. and parts of Delaware, ASTT offers assistance through psychological counseling, referrals for medical treatment, and legal, housing and food aid.

ASTT has worked with clients from 22 countries. Common countries of origin include Eritrea, Bosnia, Ethiopia, Burma and Afghanistan.

Baltimore -- which has historically served as a port of entry for new Americans -- becomes home to many asylum seekers every year.

Common to all ASTT clients is a history of suffering torture, which is often used as a method of punishment for political dissent in an attempt to intimidate, deter, and terrorize entire communities, while destroying the self.

"Torture is inflicted in any form you can imagine," Hanscom said. "I thought I'd heard of everything possible that a human could do to another human, but then I see and hear something worse."

Electrocution, flagellation and rape of both women and men are the most common types of torture suffered by ASTT clients.

ASTT works to help clients through the psychological effects of torture induced post-traumatic stress disorder, which include anxiety, depression, "flashbacks" to abusive events and a loss of motivation. Feelings of guilt or worthlessness, a difficulty in connecting with others and an inability to visualize the future render establishing a new life near impossible.

Arduous legal battles also hinder the process of resettlement, and ASTT works to ease such troubles by offering legal aid and expert witness testimonies in immigration court.

"Political asylum is granted when you've proven to the government that you have a well founded fear of persecution in your home country," Hanscom said. "And almost everybody does not get it."

Prior to fleeing their homeland, the asylum seekers held positions as professionals, labor leaders, legislators and human rights activists. A number of those seeking asylum were students at universities in their country of origin. However, upon arrival in the U.S., legal status often prevents them from finding work.

"It can be months or years before they can find work," Hanscom said.

ASTT success stories, however, have been abundant. Many clients report that the psychological counseling allowed them to ease into life in the U.S. and the workplace, as well as reclaim a hope for the future, Hanscom said.

For the clients of ASTT who are fortunate enough to successfully resettle into Baltimore and beyond, the U.S. will undoubtedly serve as a bastion of freedom of expression.

As they complete their work with ASTT and settle into homes and the workforce, the asylees will hopefully become our newest generation of activists and human rights advocates.