Rahaf al-Qunun: Saudi teen granted asylum in Canada (2024)

A Saudi woman who fled her family and became stranded at Bangkok's main airport is flying to Canada after being granted asylum status.

Rahaf Mohammed al-Qunun, 18, had been trying to reach Australia via Bangkok, but was initially told to return to Kuwait, where her family were waiting.

She refused to fly back and barricaded herself into her airport hotel room, attracting international attention.

She said she had renounced Islam, which is punishable by death in Saudi Arabia.

The UN's refugee agency has said it considers her to be a legitimate refugee.

Refugee status is normally granted by governments, but the UNHCR can grant it where states are "unable or unwilling to do so", according to its website.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told reporters: "Canada has been unequivocal that we will always stand up for human rights and women's rights around the world. When the UN made a request of us that we grant Ms al-Qunun asylum, we accepted."

Canada has previously angered Saudi Arabia after calling for the release of detained women's rights activists in the country - prompting Riyadh to expel Canada's ambassador and freeze all new trade.

The UNHCR has welcomed Canada's decision to resettle Ms Qunun.

The UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi, said: "[Her] plight has captured the world's attention over the past few days, providing a glimpse into the precarious situation of millions of refugees worldwide.

"Refugee protection today is often under threat and cannot always be assured, but in this instance international refugee law and overriding values of humanity have prevailed."

What happened to Rahaf Mohammed al-Qunun?

She was on a trip to Kuwait with her family, when she fled on a flight to Bangkok.

She said she intended to take a connecting flight to Australia - and had an Australian visa - but that her passport was seized by a Saudi diplomat when he met her coming off the flight at Suvarnabhumi airport, leaving her stranded.

A Saudi envoy in Bangkok denied any official Saudi involvement in Ms Qunun's detention.

Thai officials initially described her case as a "family problem" and said she would be repatriated back to Kuwait the next day.

However, Ms Qunun sent a series of tweets pleading for help from her airport hotel room, and her case was picked up by Human Rights Watch and journalists.

A number of countries, including Australia, have considered her case for asylum.

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'Threats to her life'

Analysis by Jonathan Head, BBC south east Asia correspondent

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After days of speculation that she would move to Australia, Rahaf al-Qunun found herself on a flight in the opposite direction, to Canada. She was seen briefly, being escorted to the departure gate by UN officials.

As her plane took off Police General Surachate Hakparn, the immigration chief whose change of heart on Monday allowed her temporary asylum in Thailand, told journalists she had left the country cheerful and grateful to those who looked after her here.

Her father and brother, he said, who had come on what turned out to be a futile visit to try to persuade her to return to Saudi Arabia with them, would be leaving Thailand shortly after her.

It is only two days since the Australian government announced that it had been approached to take Ms Qunun, and that it would treat her request sympathetically. The UN usually approaches only one country at a time to seek asylum.

It is not clear why the Australian option fell through, and the UN switched to Canada. It might be that Australia's tough line towards refugees, and the insistence of its Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton that she would get no special treatment, threatened to slow down the processing of her application.

The UN was concerned about her safety, following online threats to her life, and Canada may have been able to process her resettlement more quickly.

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Why did she flee?

Renunciation of Islam is punishable by death in Saudi Arabia.

Under Saudi Arabia's "male guardianship system", a Saudi woman is required to obtain a male relative's approval to apply for a passport, travel outside the country, study abroad on a government scholarship, get married, leave prison, or even exit a shelter for abuse victims.

Ms Qunun told the BBC: "I shared my story and my pictures on social media and my father is so angry because I did this... I can't study and work in my country, so I want to be free and study and work as I want."

She also said she was afraid her family would kill her.

Separately, she told AFP she had suffered physical and psychological abuse from her family, including being locked in her room for six months for cutting her hair.

A spokesperson for her family told the BBC that they did not wish to comment and all they cared about was the young woman's safety.

On Friday, Ms Qunun wrote on Twitter that she had "some good news and some bad news", before deleting her account. Her friends said she had received death threats online.

Has anything like this happened before?

Yes. Ms Qunun's case echoes that of another Saudi woman who was in transit to Australia in April 2017.

Dina Ali Lasloom, 24, was en route from Kuwait via the Philippines but was taken back to Saudi Arabia from Manila airport by her family.

She used a Canadian tourist's phone to send a message, a video of which was posted to Twitter, saying her family would kill her. Her fate on arriving back in Saudi Arabia remains unknown.

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'Rahaf is an inspiration'

'Sara', a Saudi woman, spoke to BBC OS on the World Service on Wednesday

Rahaf is an inspiration. But she's not the first one who did this and definitely not the last one.

What we are going through is awful. We think about this every day because us women here do not know what it feels like to go out. We don't know what freedom tastes like.

Dad keeps my passport with him all the time, we go to hotels and he puts it next to him when he sleeps.

Unfortunately it's not a revolution. Every girl that is tweeting about this, it's either that she has already escaped or she's using a fake account like me. Some people tweeted me or DMed me to tell me to use my real account, for me to be brave.

We do not want the guardianship any more. I want to go out of the house and drink coffee from Starbucks. I don't have to take my whole family. This is just way too harsh on us.

Living this life is exhausting.

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Rahaf al-Qunun: Saudi teen granted asylum in Canada (2024)

FAQs

What happened to Rahaf al Qunun? ›

An 18-year-old Saudi woman who fled her family at the weekend has left Bangkok airport "under the care" of the UN refugee agency, the head of Thailand's immigration police says.

Who is seeking asylum in Canada? ›

Under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, a person in need of protection is a person in Canada who would be subjected personally to a danger of torture, a risk to their life, or a risk of cruel and unusual treatment or punishment if they were returned to their home country.

How did Rahaf Mohammed escape? ›

While Rahaf was on vacation with her family in Kuwait, she left them and boarded a flight to Bangkok, Thailand. She intended to continue on another flight to seek asylum in Australia.

What happens when you come to Canada as a refugee? ›

After your refugee hearing, the IRB approves or rejects your refugee claim. If the IRB accepts your claim, you get “protected person” status. This means you can stay in Canada, and you can apply to become a permanent resident of Canada. If the IRB rejects your claim, you'll have to leave Canada.

Who is the Saudi girl getting asylum in Canada? ›

A Saudi woman who fled her family and became stranded at Bangkok's main airport is flying to Canada after being granted asylum status. Rahaf Mohammed al-Qunun, 18, had been trying to reach Australia via Bangkok, but was initially told to return to Kuwait, where her family were waiting.

Who was the Saudi girl who ran away to Canada? ›

"This is Rahaf Alqunun, a very brave new Canadian," Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland said arm-in-arm with the Saudi woman in Toronto's airport. Rahaf Mohammed Alqunun smiled broadly as she exited an airport arrival door sporting a Canada zipper hoodie and a U.N.

How much do asylum seekers get in Canada? ›

According to the Canadian Council for Refugees, government-assisted refugees can get some help through the federal Resettlement Assistance Program. That support is generally available for up to a year. The maximum amount provided is $25,000 per family.

How long does it take to get asylum in Canada? ›

Projected wait times are approximately 24 months for refugee claims and 12 months for refugee appeals.

Which city is best for asylum in Canada? ›

There is no best place to claim asylum in Canada. Everyone who arrives at a Canadian border and makes an asylum claim has their eligibility determined by the same two agencies. The CBSA and the RCMP. If they are eligible to make a claim they are referred to the same agency, the Refugee Board of Canada.

Who is the American woman divorced from Saudi husband is trapped in Saudi Arabia? ›

But since the marriage went sour and she sought a divorce, she has been trapped. Because of the kingdom's so-called guardianship laws, which give men great power over women, she is unable to use her bank account, leave the country, travel with her daughter or seek legal help, according to her cousin, Nicole Carroll.

What are the disadvantages of asylum in Canada? ›

Even if asylum is granted, integrating into Canadian society can be challenging due to language barriers, cultural differences, and difficulties in finding employment or housing. Asylum seekers may face restrictions on travelling outside of Canada during the processing of their claims.

What are the new rules for Canada Immigration 2024? ›

Changes to the International Student Program

In January 2024, Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) announced several major changes to Canada's international student program. Most notably, IRCC introduced a maximum intake cap of 360,000 international students for 2024.

Can a refugee in Canada be deported? ›

You cannot be deported or sent back to a country in which your life or freedom may be in danger on account of your race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group or political opinion. This is the fundamental right of all refugees and asylum-seekers.

What happened to the Saudi journalist? ›

On 2 October 2018, Jamal Khashoggi, a Saudi dissident journalist, was killed by agents of the Saudi government at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, Turkey. Khashoggi was ambushed and strangled by a 15-member squad of Saudi operatives. His body was dismembered and disposed of in some way that was never publicly revealed.

What happened to Yasser Al Sharani? ›

Al-Shahrani, 30, suffered head, chest and abdomen injuries after a colliding with his own goalkeeper Mohammed Al Owais in the final minutes of the game, which was arguably the biggest shock in World Cup history, with Argentina going on to lift the trophy.

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