What is Asylum?
Tens of thousands of migrants arrive in the United States each year seeking protection from persecution in their native country. The US government is obliged to offer asylum to those who can prove they need protecting, allowing refugees to start a new life. However, not everyone who is eligible for asylum ends up receiving it. The asylum process is often dangerously misunderstood, and false information is commonly provided to asylum seekers, jeopardizing their chance for a new life. How does the asylum process work? Who can asylum seekers turn to for help?
CUP teamed up with The Bellevue/NYU Program for Survivors of Torture (PSOT) and design studio Bardo Industries to create What is asylum?, a trilingual fold-out poster in English, Spanish, and French. The illustrated poster guides asylum seekers— many of whom have limited English and literacy skills— step-by-step through the difficult process of receiving asylum, and provides information about other resources they can turn to for assistance.
What is asylum? launched at a training session for new and prospective clients at PSOT. Thousands of copies of the guide will also be distributed through their network of partner organizations.
"When we had preliminary testing sessions with the potential users, the feedback was really emotional. They were so grateful about the project, which was an immediate reward. That was the most rewarding thing, seeing that interaction with the actual users." -Roberto Bernasconi, Designer
Check out the Project
What is asylum? unfolds from a 2 page spread into a poster.
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Project Collaborators
Advocacy Partner
Bellevue/NYU Program for Survivors of Torture
Nicole Attar
John Wilkinson
Amanda Winchester
Designer
Bardo Industries
Special Thanks
Komi Dotsa, Clinton Doumbia, Meredith Fortin, Kemah George, Ingrid Haftel, Nick Johnson, Delpech Massengo, Hawthorne E. Smith, Mark Torrey, Jean-Pierre Tshilumba, Moussa Youla
Product Details
8 × 11 color pamphlet; unfolds to 22″ × 32″ poster
Funding Support
Support for this project was provided by the National Endowment for the Arts and public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council.