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For asylum procedures, the witness affidavit will serve as a testimony in regards to the acts of persecution the applicant claims. It provides further information by giving another eye-witness account to the situation the applicant is describing. In addition, it may carry personal experiences from other people who may have also suffered the same forms of persecution that the applicant is fearing.
A Witness Affidavit consist of:
An introductory paragraph where the witness provides personal background information such as their full name, address, date and place of birth, country of citizenship, what the witness does for living, how many family members they have, and how they know the applicant.
Detailed information from the perspective of the witness as to what happened to the applicant in the country of feared persecution.
It should include complete details of the event, when the event occurred, who persecuted the applicant, the applicant’s protected characteristics, reasons why the applicant was targeted, what their motives were and country conditions of the applicant
At the end of the affidavit, the witness must include what they want the U.S. government to do for the applicant (such as requesting asylum for the applicant).
The witness should sign the affidavit under oath and the signature should be witnessed by an official, such as a notary public.
On the other hand, the applicant should also obtain expert affidavits which consist of detailed information conducted through expert research and recognized by other researchers and organizations. Using both forms of affidavits will cast the applicant’s claims of fearing persecution as more conceivable, and increase the chances of being granted asylum or withholding of deportation.
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