According to US Legal, Incorporated, a legal destination site for consumers, small businesses, lawyers and corporations, the legal definition of political asylum is as follows : “Political asylum refers to political asylum. protection granted to political refugees against arrest by a foreign jurisdiction. A nation or embassy that provides such protection is also called an asylum. Asylum is not the same as refugee. In the case of asylum, the asylum seeker (or asylum seeker) applies for their status after arriving in what is hoped to be the host country, whereas a refugee obtains this status before arriving. return to the final destination” (Asylum policy law and legal definition). ). Statistics show an increase in the number of refugees granted asylum in the United States over an eighteen-year period. The United States is the largest recipient of asylum applications in the world. About half of asylum seekers in the United States come from Latin American countries (US Asylum System). European asylum seekers made up only 11 percent of total asylum requests granted in the United States in 2008 (Morrill). Political asylum is difficult to obtain in the United States, but it is worth it to ensure you are safe from persecution. People have various reasons for leaving their country. Asylum is therefore a complex issue. Not all asylum seekers have good reasons to seek protection from another government. Furthermore, the procedure for obtaining asylum is complex. This involves a number of interviews and the paperwork can seem overwhelming. To obtain asylum, a person must be a refugee, which U.S. immigration defines as someone who is unable or unwilling to return to their country “because of persecution or a wealthy background.” ......February 15, 2011. "Political Asylum Law and Legal Definition." USLegal.com. US Legal Inc., nd Web. February 16, 2011. Preston, Julia. “US may be open to domestic violence asylum.” The New York Times. The New York Times Company, October 30, 2009. Web. February 16, 2011. Robertson, Campbell. “Judge grants asylum to German home-schooled students.” The New York Times. The New York Times Company, February 28, 2010. Web. February 16, 2011. Schrag, Philip G., et al. “Rejecting Refugees: Homeland Security's Administration of the One-Year Asylum Ban.” » William and Mary Law Review 52.3 (2010): 651+. OneFile Academic. Internet. February 15, 2011. United States. Government Accountability Office. “The American Asylum System.” Washington, DC: , 2008. web. February 16, 2011.Zylstra, Sarah Eekhoff. “Asylum surprise.” » Christianity Today 54.5 (2010): 15-16. Religion and Philosophy Collection. EBSCO. Internet. February 14. 2011