O n December 7, 2000, the Immigration and Naturalization Service proposed new rules that would allow battered women living in countries all over the world to use their status as victims of domestic violence to apply for asylum in the United States. The proposed rules could also be used by immigrant women already living in the U.S. to gain asylum status and not have to face deportation back to their home country where they might again face the likelihood of abuse.

In a Washington Post article (December 8, 2000, PA4) INS spokesman Bill Strassberger is quoted as saying "This (ruling) recognizes that domestic violence is not a private issue: it is a public issue. Although domestic violence is a more personal, one on one type of persecution, it is still persecution."

The proposed rule changes must undergo a 45 day review period before they are finalized. Under the present rules, applicants for asylum must show they cannot return home because they face persecution on the basis of political belief, race, religion, nationality or membership in a particular social group. The last category has evolved in the last decade to include homosexuals and members of clans in some African countries. The proposed rule would also include victims of domestic violence as a "particular social group."

If eventually adopted, these latest proposals are likely to improve the lives of thousands of women all over the world.