Saudi teen granted asylum in Canada says she’s one of the lucky women who escaped | CNN (2024)

CNN

The Saudi teenager who fled her family and was granted asylum in Canada said Tuesday that she was fortunate to have escaped.

But many other young women in Saudi Arabia like her are not able to get away and take control of their lives, Rahaf Mohammed, 18, said at a press conference Tuesday.

“I am one of the lucky ones. I know there are unlucky women who disappeared after trying to escape, or who could not do anything to change their reality,” she said.

“I was not treated respectfully by my family, and I was not allowed to be myself and who I want to be,” she added. “As you know, in Saudi Arabia, this is the case for all Saudi women except for those fortunate enough to have understanding parents. They can’t be independent, and they need approval from their male guardian. Any woman who thinks of escaping or escaped will be at risk of persecution.”

Immigration Bureau, Royal Thai PoliceRahaf Mohammed Mutlaq Al-Qunun the Saudi teenager who claims to be fleeing her abusive family and barricaded herself in a Bangkok airport transit hotel has left the hotel under UNHCR protection looking ìhappy and relaxed.î Thai Police Lieutenant Colonel Surachet Hakpal said ìWe will arrange a safe place for her to stay under care of UNHCR.î After meeting with Thai immigration officials and UNHCR representatives she has left the hotel with UNHCR staffs from back door avoiding the waiting media outside, Hakpal told CNNís Kocha Olarn who is at Bangkok. UNHCR released a statement during the meeting, it said that the UNHCR was ìassessing her need for international refugee protection and find an immediate solution for her situation.î Immigration Bureau, Royal Thai Police Related article Rahaf al-Qunun: Saudi teen granted asylum in Canada

The statements came days after Mohammed – who dropped her family name, al-Qunun – sparked an international incident when she barricaded herself in an airport hotel room in Bangkok, Thailand, to prevent officials from sending her back to her family in Kuwait.

Mohammed said she arrived at Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport on January 5 after a flight from Kuwait, where her family is. She told CNN she originally intended to fly on to Australia but decided to enter Thailand instead.

Once there, she posted photos of herself and her passport on social media, and said she was seeking refugee status from “any country that would protect me from getting harmed or killed due to leaving my religion and torture from my family.”

In response to the media campaign, Thai authorities allowed the teen access to the UN refugee agency and did not deport her to Kuwait. She was offered asylum in Canada and landed Friday in Toronto.

‘I want to be independent’

Mohammed is one of a number of Saudi women who have fled the country and its laws restricting women’s rights. Saudi Arabia’s guardianship laws govern many aspects of women’s lives, and they may not marry, divorce, get a job, have elective surgery or travel without permission of their male guardians.

On Tuesday, Mohammed spoke about her ordeal in Arabic, and a staffer from COSTI Immigrant Services delivered the English translation. She said she wanted to carve her own path in life.

“I want to be independent, travel, make my own decisions on education, a career, or who and when I should marry. I had no say in any of this. Today, I can proudly say that I am capable of making all of those decisions,” she said.

Saudi women and their children walk along a street as they make their way to a celebration rally marking the 83rd Saudi Arabian National Day in the desert kingdom's capital Riyadh, on September 23, 2013. AFP PHOTO/FAYEZ NURELDINE (Photo credit should read FAYEZ NURELDINE/AFP/Getty Images) FAYEZ NURELDINE/AFP/AFP/Getty Images Related article Saudi Arabia's 'reforms' aren't really about empowering women

Mohammed also thanked those who had supported her, including Canada, Thailand and the UN refugee agency. She said she would not be doing more media interviews for the time being.

“I would like to start living a normal life. A normal, private life, just like any other young woman living in Canada. This starts with me getting help in my settlement process, and, of course, learning English,” she said.

“Today, and for years to come, I will work in support of freedom for women around the world. The same freedom I experienced on the first day I arrived in Canada.”

After her statement, Mario Calla, executive director of COSTI Immigrant Services, told reporters that Mohammed went to Canada as a “government-assisted refugee,” which means “she has the Canadian government’s financial support for typically up to 12 months.”

COSTI plans to support her with temporary lodging, help her understand her rights and obligations as a landed immigrant, help her apply for health coverage, social insurance and a bank account, and teach her how to get around the city and about life in Canada. She will also be enrolled in English classes, Calla said.

“Rahaf is anxious to get settled and to lead a normal life, and we will work with her to make that happen,” she added.

CNN’s Kocha Olarn and Nada Altaher contributed to this report.

Saudi teen granted asylum in Canada says she’s one of the lucky women who escaped | CNN (2024)

FAQs

Saudi teen granted asylum in Canada says she’s one of the lucky women who escaped | CNN? ›

The Saudi teenager who fled her family and was granted asylum in Canada said Tuesday that she was fortunate to have escaped. But many other young women in Saudi Arabia like her are not able to get away and take control of their lives, Rahaf Mohammed, 18, said at a press conference Tuesday. “I am one of the lucky ones.

Did Saudi Arabia women fled to Canada? ›

On 11 January 2019, Mohammed flew to Toronto via Seoul, having been granted asylum by Canada, as a "resettled refugee". The UNHCR said this had been arranged "on a fast-track 'emergency' basis". She was greeted at Toronto Pearson International Airport by Canadian Minister of Foreign Affairs Chrystia Freeland.

Who was the Saudi girl who ran away to Canada? ›

Rahaf Mohammed Alqunun smiled broadly as she exited an airport arrival door sporting a Canada zipper hoodie and a U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees hat, capping a dramatic week that saw her flee her family while visiting Kuwait and before flying to Bangkok.

What happened to Rahaf al Qunun? ›

She spent the weekend barricaded in a Bangkok airport hotel room tweeting her story to the world. After her story attracted global attention, Thai officials returned her passport and released her to UNHCR, the UN refugee agency, where she is now being protected.

Who are the two Saudi sisters who escaped? ›

Who were the sisters? They were 24-year-old Asra Abdullah Alsehli and 23-year-old Amaal Abdullah Alsehli, who came to Australia from Saudi Arabia in 2017.

Can Saudi women go out without a man? ›

In 2019, Saudi Arabia allowed women to travel abroad, register for divorce or marriage, and apply for official documents without the permission of a male guardian. Male guardians have duties to, and rights over, women in many aspects of civic life.

Why are Saudi women escaping? ›

Saudi prisons and juvenile detention centers only allow women to exit into the care of a male relative. Imprisoned women whose families refuse to release them are forced to remain in prison or in shelters until they reconcile with their families or obtain a new guardian, occasionally only after arranged marriages.

What happened to Saudi sisters found dead? ›

Two Saudi sisters found dead in their apartment in Sydney, Australia last year are thought to have made a suicide pact after being cut off by their family. Asra Abdullah Alsehli, 24, and Amaal Abdullah Alsehli, 23, were found by police on 7 June 2022. It is believed that they had died in April of that year.

Who was deported for being too handsome in Saudi? ›

Omar Borkan Al Gala became notorious in 2013 when media coverage claimed that he had been deported from the country for being "too handsome"; however, this was not the case. The incident occurred during the Jandriyah Cultural Festival in Riyadh, during which he and two other male models worked on a promotion stand.

Where is Samar Badawi now? ›

On 27 June 2021, Badawi was released from prison after serving her sentence.

What happened to Yasser Al Sharani? ›

Al-Shahrani, 30, suffered head, chest and abdomen injuries after a colliding with his own goalkeeper Mohammed Al Owais in the final minutes of the game, which was arguably the biggest shock in World Cup history, with Argentina going on to lift the trophy.

What happened to Dua and Dalal? ›

"As global attention has turned to the apparent asylum bid of Princess Haya bint Hussein and her escape from the UAE, reportedly with millions of dollars in tow; Saudi sisters Dua and Dalal Khalid are literally hiding out in Turkey in constant fear for their lives, trying desperately to be granted refugee status or ...

Where does Rahaf Mohammed live now? ›

Rahaf Mohammed eventually was able to get to Canada after Twitter pleas from detention in Bangkok went viral. Rahaf Mohammed (formerly Rahaf Mohammed Alqunun) in Toronto on Jan. 14, 2019, after she was granted asylum.

Did Dua and Dalal get asylum? ›

The sisters, who are known by the pseudonyms Reem and Rawan, have asked for the country which granted them asylum to remain confidential. “I was so happy,” the younger sister told Reuters in Hong Kong, describing how she felt when she was told she had been given asylum. “I screamed, 'It's real, it's happening' ...

Who is the woman locked up in Saudi Arabia? ›

Two human rights groups have condemned an 11-year prison sentence handed to a Saudi fitness instructor and women's rights activist by a terrorism court. Manahel al-Otaibi, 29, was convicted of charges related to her clothing choices and expression of her views online, Amnesty International and ALQST said.

Who is the disappeared Saudi Princess? ›

Princess Basmah of Saudi Arabia was abducted in March 2019 and has been imprisoned since. Her charge was quietly dropped last year, but she remains detained. In April 2020, she tweeted to say she was in jail and in critical health. This was the first time the public had heard from her in 13 months.

What happened between Canada and Saudi Arabia? ›

Since 2018, bilateral relations have gradually soured since a high-profile diplomatic spat began over the Canadian government's public condemnation of the Saudi government's human rights abuses.

Are women allowed to leave the house in Saudi Arabia? ›

In recent years, strict dress regulations, mandatory gender segregation and a ban on women drivers were abolished. A guardianship system, which forbade women from travelling or even leaving the house without a male family member, was amended.

Are Saudi women allowed to marry foreigners? ›

Permission from a Saudi court is typically required for a Saudi woman to marry a foreigner, and certain conditions must be met to obtain approval.

Who is the American woman divorced from Saudi husband is trapped in Saudi Arabia? ›

In 2019, Carly Morris and her daughter Tala were stuck in the Gulf kingdom after her Saudi ex-husband persuaded the two to visit the country. Just a few months ago, Morris was able to return to the US but was forced to leave Tala behind following a custody dispute.

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