Medical Malpractice

Does anyone know the difference between asylum and political asylum?

Back in the days of the cold war and there were very few people claiming asylum, it was always called political asylum. The people claiming it had to prove that their life was under threat from their own Government simply because they opposed the Government. Virtually every asylum seeker became a famous person because they had to escape through back routes, such as Donald Woods. Today it seems that they have dropped the word political, people are buying regular airline tickets, leaving their country simply my going to the airport and getting on a plane, then arriving somewhere and claiming asylum because his father in law threatened his life. My question is has the word "Political," been dropped from asylum officially and it is no longer political asylum, ie, your life under threat from your govt. and now it is simple asylum and you claim it for any reason?

Public Comments

1. My answer is if your life is under threat for political reasons give up politics .
2. Political asylum usually applies to politicians or political activists seeking asylum (as an example if Morgan Tsvangirai, the leader of the opposition in Zimbabwe decided to leave and come to Britain he could seek political asylum claiming his life was in danger because of his political activities). More general asylum seekers claim asylum for other reasons - for example they may belong to a religious or ethnic group that is being persecuted in the area from which they have left, and are therefore not political asylum seekers.
3. it's the same politics and economics are linked