World News for Students of English

17-01-2019 07:00

Rahaf Mohammed Alqunun is an 18-year-old woman from Saudi Arabia who says that her family tried to forcefully marry her off and has been abusive to her – especially after she renounced Islam.

When she was on vacation with her family in Kuwait, she ran away, got on a plane to Thailand and planned to go to Australia to ask for asylum. However, when she reached Bangkok, Thai officials stopped her and took her passport away.

She was facing deportation to Saudi Arabia, so she barricaded herself in a Thai airport hotel room and asked for help on social media. She said that going back to Saudi Arabia would mean abuse by her family or even being sent to jail.

In response to the events, the UN granted her refugee status, which means that she can enjoy certain rights and protections, which people agreed in the 1951 Refugee convention.

Difficult words: abusive (hurting someone physically or psychologically), renounce (say that you do not believe in something), ask for asylum (ask if you can live somewhere in safety), barricade (block oneself into somewhere), deportation (transport a foreigner from a country).

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