Posted on 08/21/2003 7:55:49 AM PDT by Loyalist
A Venezuelan woman's claim for refugee status because she is overweight has been denied by the Immigration and Refugee Board, which ruled her size did not qualify her for special status under its Gender-Related Persecution guidelines.
The Vancouver-area resident claimed she was a refugee in need of protection as a member of a group facing persecution in her homeland, namely overweight or obese women.
"She appeared to relate many of her past problems solely to her weight," says the Immigration and Refugee Board summary of the claim.
The woman was not identified because of privacy concerns.
Ian Clague, the adjudicator, had doubts about her claim, including questions on just how overweight the woman actually is.
"At the hearing, the claimant did not appear to fit the dictionary definition of obese. According to her personal information form, she had gained weight since she had been in Canada. No evidence was presented as to what her weight actually was, if she was medically overweight, or how her weight compared to others, male or female, in Venezuela," says the decision summary.
Mr. Clague also questioned how damaging being overweight is to life in Venezuela. "She graduated from university.
"There was no evidence that she was impeded in her studies because of her weight. She made minimal efforts to seek employment after graduating and before coming to Canada.
"There was no evidence that she would be unable to find suitable employment," the summary says.
"The discrimination which she claimed to have suffered did not, even cumulatively, amount to persecution. She was also not a person in need of protection," Mr. Clague ruled.
Canada's Guidelines on Women Refugee Claimants Fearing Gender-Related Persecution were enacted 10 years ago and hailed as pioneering recognition of special hardships women can face.
Recently accepted claims include a Tanzanian woman who was regularly beaten by her husband for opposing female circumcision and polygamy, an Albanian girl who was betrothed to marry at age 10 and faced fierce retribution from the groom's family when she declined and an Iranian woman who was sentenced to 74 lashes and the removal of her child for not observing a dress code.
"This claim is a good illustration of everything that is wrong with the refugee determination system in this country," said Sergio Karas, a Toronto immigration lawyer, who is not involved in the case. "A system should not allow a claim to even be made on such frivolous grounds while legitimate refugees languish, waiting for their case to be heard."
Margarita Ayello, first secretary at the Venezuelan Embassy, said it is preposterous to claim large women are persecuted in her country.
"My mother is overweight and she is very happy," Ms. Ayello said.
ahumphreys@nationalpost.com
© Copyright 2003 National Post
Are you gonna take me home tonight?
Ah down beside that red firelight
Are you gonna let it all hang out?
Fat bottomed girls
You make the rockin' world go round
Hey I was just a skinny lad
Never knew no good from bad
But I knew life before I left my nursery - huh!
Left alone with big fat Fanny
She was such a naughty nanny
Heap big woman you made a bad boy out of me
Hey hey!Wooh!
I've been singing with my band
Across the wire across the land
I seen every blue eyed floozy on the way, hey
But their beauty and their style
Went kind of smooth after a while
Take me to them dirty ladies everytime
C'mon
Oh won't you take me home tonight?
Oh down beside your red firelight
Oh and you give it all you got
Fat bottomed girls you make the rockin' world go round
Fat bottomed girls you make the rockin' world go round
Hey listen here
Now I got mortgages on homes
I got stiffness in ma' bones
Ain't no beauty Queens in this locality (I tell you)
Oh but I still get my pleasure
Still get my greatest treasure
Heap big woman you gonna make a big man out of me
Now get this
Oh (I know) you gonna take me home tonight (please)
Oh down beside that red firelight
Are you gonna let it all hang out?
Fat bottomed girls you make the rockin' world go round yeah
Fat bottomed girls you make the rockin' world go round
Get on your bikes and ride
Ooh yeah oh yeah them fat bottomed girls
Fat bottomed girls
Yeah yeah yeah
Plus le coussin est mou, plus la poussée est meilleure.
(The softer the cushion, the better the push'in.)
CB^(o)
No, I think it's pretty hard to top the INS giving Mohamed Atta his visa six months after 9-11.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.