Post by High Priestess on Apr 23, 2016 12:57:46 GMT
Josie
community.airbnb.com/t5/General-Hosting/Asylum-seeker-as-a-guest/m-p/73564#U73564
community.airbnb.com/t5/Responsible-Hosting/Asylum-seeker-as-a-guest/m-p/73594/highlight/false#M311
Asylum seeker as a guest
So, this is a bit different. I have a guest enquiry for a month long booking from a Turkish man who is coming to New Zealand in order to apply for asylum. I really want to help, it's an awful situation the migrant crisis, but I also need to protect myself. He has verified his ID with a passport which is good, but he has no reviews. I have asked for a character reference from a professional. Although I have a boyfriend I live in my house alone so there is the security aspect from that point of view as Turkish men are a bit notorious. My boyfriend says, desperate people do desperate things. Is there some uncertainly about what he might want to do to try and stay. Is it okay he uses my address in his application or does that somehow affect me. Could he turn into a squatter. He wants to book for a month but applications take 11 weeks. (I have asked if he can fund an extended stay and what he intends to do after the initial 4 weeks, he says he will look for long term housing and use the time here to get to know NZ, research job prospects etc). Can anyone think of any other worries/concerns or things I should check or way I could get more confident to accept his booking. Would you take a booking from an asylum seeker. Has anyone ever had an over-staying issue with a guest who refuses to leave. Am I worrying about nothing. Thanks.
Donna
Josie, his story raises several red flags for me for a number of reasons. In your shoes, I would politely decline the request.
Sounds like the situation has already taken up too much of your time and concern. I would follow your own - and your boyfriend's - gut instinct.
If the person is truly an asylum seeker desperate to leave an untenable situation - which I doubt - there are immediate steps he should be taking other than trying hard to secure a month-long place to stay with a female living on her own. How do you know he's an 'authentic' asylum seeker? Has he provided evidence? Or is it simply how he describes himself?
If you do decide to go ahead, I strongly urge you not to let him use your address for any purposes. This could open up all kinds of complexities.
Josie
Thank you very much Donna, I really wanted to get another person's view on this. It's true it has taken a lot of my time, but it's because I'm trying to get a feel for him as a person before I decide. It represent 1400 dollars so it's a reasonable amount to turn down, however I don't want to open a can of worms. He's been really polite with all my questions, said he didn't know I lived alone and he's sent me the name of an American professional on Linked In who would recommend him. I've written to her but it might take a while for her to reply. Also I don't want to be unhelpful to someone who is being proactive in seeking a better life. However, unless he has a very convincing back story of persecution (and he's so educated that I'm not sure about this likelihood) he's unlikely to get into NZ. they only accept 750 refugees a year. He seems to have been quite honest with me. He's sent his CV and a statment of intent he wrote when applying to a degree course in America which is very well written. My gut instinct was caution but he is coming across as a nice young man. I hate to be prejudice just becaue he is Turkish and applying for asylum (turns out he's Kurdish, not sure if that's worse - but brought up first 11 years in US).
Yeah, probably spend too long thinking about this! Thank you!
Donna
Josie, if he was brought up in the US, does he not have American citizenship? And sufficiently well educated - presumably in the US - to apply for a university degree course? Sorry, but that doesn't sound to me like an asylum seeker in dire straits.
Truly, the more I hear, the more skeptical I become. Why hasn't he simply said he wants to visit NZ for a month to have a look around and determine whether he'd like to live and work there?
Seems to me he's playing the 'refugee' card. (I've seen this happen often elsewhere, hence my doubts about the authenticity of his request.)
Up to you, though, in the final analysis.
Josie
to what end could he be using the refugee card. Get my sympathy? He says he has enough money for an extended stay and knows he'll have to prove that at immigration when he enters the country. Obviously has money to book the room and the flight. I guess, just cos he has money and is educated doesn't mean he doesn't need asylum. Although i wonder why with his obvious skills he doesn't just apply through the skilled migrant category. I guess asylum is quicker maybe. He only lived in states till 11 and then sauid arabia I think where his sister still lives (he gave me her facebook page). Thanks Donna! Maybe I should leave it, I have someone local who wants to be a flatmate at the same period, maybe it's more straightforward as she's known in the community. Less money but less complicated. And I don't have to pay tax on flatmate so debatable on less money. Feel bad turning him down now after all the questions and effort he's gone to.
Josie
haha, oh dear, just got a message from a friend telling me not to trust the local gal.
Deborah
I would decline this request.
I read your posts on the other place you posted this thread and read the additional info. Such as that this man spent 11 years in the US and has most recently been living in Saudi Arabia.
Neither the USA nor Saudia Arabia are nations that typically have residents seeking asylum. So for that reason his claim of seeking asylum from Saudia Arabia seems dubious and red flaggy. Of course there are always unique circumstances a person can be in -- but when screening an inquiry, we cannot possibly know everything involved, and thus need to make decisions based on what is apparent just in the inquiry itself, or what are able to ask about, and need to consider red flags.
Secondly, a person truly seeking asylum in your nation is likely to have an entirely different emotional situation than one coming to your nation for a vacation -- wouldn't you think? THey might be experiencing trauma, emotional suffering, painful things. As opposed to the light and joyful demeanor we more commonly associate with someone on vacation. So it is good for you to think of what kind of emotional atmosphere you want in your house. Because I am particularly sensitive to the mood of guests, and a heavy mood can negatively effect me, I would not want any kind of emotional heaviness brought into my home by guests. I am clear that I'm not running a charity organization, or offering therapy services to guests, though some hosts like to do that.
ANother red flag, for some hosts, is simply taking a person who wants to move to their area, since someone seeking long term housing might decide that , whether you are willing or not, your home makes good long term housing for them. Of course not every person moving to an area is going to become a squatter, but that is a risk with this type of guest, that you will not have with a guest who is not planning to move to your area. As well, guests who are moving to an area and whose ultimate goal is to find long term housing in your area, can behave differently in your home than guests who are only visiting the area on vacation or a work trip or such.
So I would decline.
community.airbnb.com/t5/General-Hosting/Asylum-seeker-as-a-guest/m-p/73564#U73564
community.airbnb.com/t5/Responsible-Hosting/Asylum-seeker-as-a-guest/m-p/73594/highlight/false#M311
Asylum seeker as a guest
So, this is a bit different. I have a guest enquiry for a month long booking from a Turkish man who is coming to New Zealand in order to apply for asylum. I really want to help, it's an awful situation the migrant crisis, but I also need to protect myself. He has verified his ID with a passport which is good, but he has no reviews. I have asked for a character reference from a professional. Although I have a boyfriend I live in my house alone so there is the security aspect from that point of view as Turkish men are a bit notorious. My boyfriend says, desperate people do desperate things. Is there some uncertainly about what he might want to do to try and stay. Is it okay he uses my address in his application or does that somehow affect me. Could he turn into a squatter. He wants to book for a month but applications take 11 weeks. (I have asked if he can fund an extended stay and what he intends to do after the initial 4 weeks, he says he will look for long term housing and use the time here to get to know NZ, research job prospects etc). Can anyone think of any other worries/concerns or things I should check or way I could get more confident to accept his booking. Would you take a booking from an asylum seeker. Has anyone ever had an over-staying issue with a guest who refuses to leave. Am I worrying about nothing. Thanks.
Donna
Josie, his story raises several red flags for me for a number of reasons. In your shoes, I would politely decline the request.
Sounds like the situation has already taken up too much of your time and concern. I would follow your own - and your boyfriend's - gut instinct.
If the person is truly an asylum seeker desperate to leave an untenable situation - which I doubt - there are immediate steps he should be taking other than trying hard to secure a month-long place to stay with a female living on her own. How do you know he's an 'authentic' asylum seeker? Has he provided evidence? Or is it simply how he describes himself?
If you do decide to go ahead, I strongly urge you not to let him use your address for any purposes. This could open up all kinds of complexities.
Josie
Thank you very much Donna, I really wanted to get another person's view on this. It's true it has taken a lot of my time, but it's because I'm trying to get a feel for him as a person before I decide. It represent 1400 dollars so it's a reasonable amount to turn down, however I don't want to open a can of worms. He's been really polite with all my questions, said he didn't know I lived alone and he's sent me the name of an American professional on Linked In who would recommend him. I've written to her but it might take a while for her to reply. Also I don't want to be unhelpful to someone who is being proactive in seeking a better life. However, unless he has a very convincing back story of persecution (and he's so educated that I'm not sure about this likelihood) he's unlikely to get into NZ. they only accept 750 refugees a year. He seems to have been quite honest with me. He's sent his CV and a statment of intent he wrote when applying to a degree course in America which is very well written. My gut instinct was caution but he is coming across as a nice young man. I hate to be prejudice just becaue he is Turkish and applying for asylum (turns out he's Kurdish, not sure if that's worse - but brought up first 11 years in US).
Yeah, probably spend too long thinking about this! Thank you!
Donna
Josie, if he was brought up in the US, does he not have American citizenship? And sufficiently well educated - presumably in the US - to apply for a university degree course? Sorry, but that doesn't sound to me like an asylum seeker in dire straits.
Truly, the more I hear, the more skeptical I become. Why hasn't he simply said he wants to visit NZ for a month to have a look around and determine whether he'd like to live and work there?
Seems to me he's playing the 'refugee' card. (I've seen this happen often elsewhere, hence my doubts about the authenticity of his request.)
Up to you, though, in the final analysis.
Josie
to what end could he be using the refugee card. Get my sympathy? He says he has enough money for an extended stay and knows he'll have to prove that at immigration when he enters the country. Obviously has money to book the room and the flight. I guess, just cos he has money and is educated doesn't mean he doesn't need asylum. Although i wonder why with his obvious skills he doesn't just apply through the skilled migrant category. I guess asylum is quicker maybe. He only lived in states till 11 and then sauid arabia I think where his sister still lives (he gave me her facebook page). Thanks Donna! Maybe I should leave it, I have someone local who wants to be a flatmate at the same period, maybe it's more straightforward as she's known in the community. Less money but less complicated. And I don't have to pay tax on flatmate so debatable on less money. Feel bad turning him down now after all the questions and effort he's gone to.
Josie
haha, oh dear, just got a message from a friend telling me not to trust the local gal.
Deborah
I would decline this request.
I read your posts on the other place you posted this thread and read the additional info. Such as that this man spent 11 years in the US and has most recently been living in Saudi Arabia.
Neither the USA nor Saudia Arabia are nations that typically have residents seeking asylum. So for that reason his claim of seeking asylum from Saudia Arabia seems dubious and red flaggy. Of course there are always unique circumstances a person can be in -- but when screening an inquiry, we cannot possibly know everything involved, and thus need to make decisions based on what is apparent just in the inquiry itself, or what are able to ask about, and need to consider red flags.
Secondly, a person truly seeking asylum in your nation is likely to have an entirely different emotional situation than one coming to your nation for a vacation -- wouldn't you think? THey might be experiencing trauma, emotional suffering, painful things. As opposed to the light and joyful demeanor we more commonly associate with someone on vacation. So it is good for you to think of what kind of emotional atmosphere you want in your house. Because I am particularly sensitive to the mood of guests, and a heavy mood can negatively effect me, I would not want any kind of emotional heaviness brought into my home by guests. I am clear that I'm not running a charity organization, or offering therapy services to guests, though some hosts like to do that.
ANother red flag, for some hosts, is simply taking a person who wants to move to their area, since someone seeking long term housing might decide that , whether you are willing or not, your home makes good long term housing for them. Of course not every person moving to an area is going to become a squatter, but that is a risk with this type of guest, that you will not have with a guest who is not planning to move to your area. As well, guests who are moving to an area and whose ultimate goal is to find long term housing in your area, can behave differently in your home than guests who are only visiting the area on vacation or a work trip or such.
So I would decline.