Adelaide Abankwah
Encyclopedia
Adelaide Abankwah was a pseudonym taken by Ghana
ian Regina Norman Danson when she tried to immigrate to the U.S.
as a refugee
claiming to be fleeing female genital cutting
and seeking political asylum.
"Adelaide Abankwah" appeared in the USA in 1997 from Ghana. She claimed that she had inherited the position of a female chief of her tribe after her mother had died. The position, however, demanded that she would be a virgin. She had fallen in love with a Christian and if she went back, the tribe would discover she was not a virgin any more and she would be forced to submit to genital mutilation. Thus she applied for political asylum on March 29, 1997.
The INS
officials suspected that her passport had been forged or otherwise altered, had her detained and begun proceedings to expel her. Abankwah was detained for over two years in a detention facility in Jamaica, Queens
when her application for asylum was twice rejected, first by an immigration judge, and then in 1999 by the Board of Immigration Appeals
.
Eventually the INS investigation determined that the "Abankwah" was an impostor. Her real name was Regina Norman Danson. She had adopted the name of another Ghanaian woman who was living in Maryland
and whose passport
had been stolen in Ghana.
Danson admitted that she had given a wrong name but that her story was still true. Further inquiries from Ghana showed that her mother, who had never been a tribal leader, was still alive. Immigration court
also noted that Ghana had declared female circumcision illegal in 1994, and that it had never been widespread there.
The case came to the attention of feminist
and human rights
activists who began to lobby for her release. They included actresses Julia Roberts
and Vanessa Redgrave
and then-First Lady Hillary Clinton.
The Second Circuit Court of Appeal
s reversed the decision in July 1999 and granted Danson asylum. INS continued to investigate and found "overwhelming evidence
" of fraud
. The justice department was still hesitant to pursue a fraud conviction because of possible public furor and bad publicity
but indicted her in 2001. The real Abankwah cooperated with INS to have the case cleared.
The fraud trial began on January 14, 2002. Tribal Chief Nana Kwa Bonko testified that Danson was not in the tribe
's royal succession
and that they did not practice female circumcision.
According to GhanaWeb, Danson was to be sentenced for fraud on March 23, 2003 "for up to 16 months in prison, after which she will be deported to Ghana."
Ghana
Ghana , officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country located in West Africa. It is bordered by Côte d'Ivoire to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, Togo to the east, and the Gulf of Guinea to the south...
ian Regina Norman Danson when she tried to immigrate to the U.S.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
as a refugee
Refugee
A refugee is a person who outside her country of origin or habitual residence because she has suffered persecution on account of race, religion, nationality, political opinion, or because she is a member of a persecuted 'social group'. Such a person may be referred to as an 'asylum seeker' until...
claiming to be fleeing female genital cutting
Female genital cutting
Female genital mutilation , also known as female genital cutting and female circumcision, is defined by the World Health Organization as "all procedures that involve partial or total removal of the external female genitalia, or other injury to the female genital organs for non-medical reasons."FGM...
and seeking political asylum.
"Adelaide Abankwah" appeared in the USA in 1997 from Ghana. She claimed that she had inherited the position of a female chief of her tribe after her mother had died. The position, however, demanded that she would be a virgin. She had fallen in love with a Christian and if she went back, the tribe would discover she was not a virgin any more and she would be forced to submit to genital mutilation. Thus she applied for political asylum on March 29, 1997.
The INS
Immigration and Naturalization Service
The United States Immigration and Naturalization Service , now referred to as Legacy INS, ceased to exist under that name on March 1, 2003, when most of its functions were transferred from the Department of Justice to three new components within the newly created Department of Homeland Security, as...
officials suspected that her passport had been forged or otherwise altered, had her detained and begun proceedings to expel her. Abankwah was detained for over two years in a detention facility in Jamaica, Queens
Jamaica, Queens
Jamaica is a neighborhood in the borough of Queens in New York City, New York, United States. It was settled under Dutch rule in 1656 in New Netherland as Rustdorp. Under British rule, the Village of Jamaica became the center of the "Town of Jamaica"...
when her application for asylum was twice rejected, first by an immigration judge, and then in 1999 by the Board of Immigration Appeals
Board of Immigration Appeals
The Board of Immigration Appeals is the part of the Executive Office for Immigration Review that reviews the decisions of the Immigration Courts and some decisions of the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. It is an administrative appellate body that is part of the United States Department...
.
Eventually the INS investigation determined that the "Abankwah" was an impostor. Her real name was Regina Norman Danson. She had adopted the name of another Ghanaian woman who was living in Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
and whose passport
Passport
A passport is a document, issued by a national government, which certifies, for the purpose of international travel, the identity and nationality of its holder. The elements of identity are name, date of birth, sex, and place of birth....
had been stolen in Ghana.
Danson admitted that she had given a wrong name but that her story was still true. Further inquiries from Ghana showed that her mother, who had never been a tribal leader, was still alive. Immigration court
Court
A court is a form of tribunal, often a governmental institution, with the authority to adjudicate legal disputes between parties and carry out the administration of justice in civil, criminal, and administrative matters in accordance with the rule of law...
also noted that Ghana had declared female circumcision illegal in 1994, and that it had never been widespread there.
The case came to the attention of feminist
Feminism
Feminism is a collection of movements aimed at defining, establishing, and defending equal political, economic, and social rights and equal opportunities for women. Its concepts overlap with those of women's rights...
and human rights
Human rights
Human rights are "commonly understood as inalienable fundamental rights to which a person is inherently entitled simply because she or he is a human being." Human rights are thus conceived as universal and egalitarian . These rights may exist as natural rights or as legal rights, in both national...
activists who began to lobby for her release. They included actresses Julia Roberts
Julia Roberts
Julia Fiona Roberts is an American actress. She became a Hollywood star after headlining the romantic comedy Pretty Woman , which grossed $464 million worldwide...
and Vanessa Redgrave
Vanessa Redgrave
Vanessa Redgrave, CBE is an English actress of stage, screen and television, as well as a political activist.She rose to prominence in 1961 playing Rosalind in As You Like It with the Royal Shakespeare Company and has since made more than 35 appearances on London's West End and Broadway, winning...
and then-First Lady Hillary Clinton.
The Second Circuit Court of Appeal
Appeal
An appeal is a petition for review of a case that has been decided by a court of law. The petition is made to a higher court for the purpose of overturning the lower court's decision....
s reversed the decision in July 1999 and granted Danson asylum. INS continued to investigate and found "overwhelming evidence
Evidence (law)
The law of evidence encompasses the rules and legal principles that govern the proof of facts in a legal proceeding. These rules determine what evidence can be considered by the trier of fact in reaching its decision and, sometimes, the weight that may be given to that evidence...
" of fraud
Fraud
In criminal law, a fraud is an intentional deception made for personal gain or to damage another individual; the related adjective is fraudulent. The specific legal definition varies by legal jurisdiction. Fraud is a crime, and also a civil law violation...
. The justice department was still hesitant to pursue a fraud conviction because of possible public furor and bad publicity
Publicity
Publicity is the deliberate attempt to manage the public's perception of a subject. The subjects of publicity include people , goods and services, organizations of all kinds, and works of art or entertainment.From a marketing perspective, publicity is one component of promotion which is one...
but indicted her in 2001. The real Abankwah cooperated with INS to have the case cleared.
The fraud trial began on January 14, 2002. Tribal Chief Nana Kwa Bonko testified that Danson was not in the tribe
Tribe
A tribe, viewed historically or developmentally, consists of a social group existing before the development of, or outside of, states.Many anthropologists use the term tribal society to refer to societies organized largely on the basis of kinship, especially corporate descent groups .Some theorists...
's royal succession
Order of succession
An order of succession is a formula or algorithm that determines who inherits an office upon the death, resignation, or removal of its current occupant.-Monarchies and nobility:...
and that they did not practice female circumcision.
According to GhanaWeb, Danson was to be sentenced for fraud on March 23, 2003 "for up to 16 months in prison, after which she will be deported to Ghana."