The narrow criteria for granting asylum have become even more limited since the end of the Cold War and September 11th. This book explores the disparity and hypocrisy between the Western ideas of open doors and the actual practices. US and UK governments tell the authorities to control our borders and process asylum seekers rapidly, but then not only do governments not provide adequate resources for them to do so, but also create obstacles that prevent legitimate applicants from succeeding in the process. This book takes the reader on a journey through the process of applying for asylum in both the United States and Great Britain, with additional comparative material from Canada and Europe. The authors focus on asylum because it gets at the heart of the question of how the West feels about helping people who flee the worst kinds of oppression. The process of applying for asylum involves a complex legal, administrative terrain. This volume describes this complexity through stories told by asylum seekers, their lawyers, therapists who evaluate and treat them, lawmakers and bureaucrats who make and implement policy, and the asylum officers and judges who decide individual cases. Using these stories, it explores the criteria for asylum, especially the concept of a 'well-founded fear of persecution.' "Political Asylum in the 21st Century" will appeal to students and scholars of political science, international relations, sociology, law and anthropology.