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Ice on Immigration: Refugees visiting home 

By L. Patricia Ice, Featured Columnist

Question:  I was a refugee from my native country and obtained political asylum in the United States.  I am now a lawful permanent resident.  My father is very ill in my country and I would like to visit him there.  Is it safe for me to return to my country?  If I do that will I be able to keep my lawful permanent resident status when I return to the United States?  

Answer:  This is a very controversial issue and there is no definite answer.  Before you decide what to do, however, you need to investigate whether it will be safe for you to return.  You can do this by asking relatives and friends at home about country conditions and by doing research on your own at the library or on the Internet.  The general thinking of the United States government is that if you can return safely to the country you fled, then maybe you do not need the protection of this country as a refugee.  If you are not sure whether it is safe for you to return home, I suggest that you try to arrange a visit with your ailing father in a third country adjacent to or nearby your home country.  That way, you would not have to enter your home country and the United States government will not question why you went back home.