Rahaf al-Qunun: Tens of thousands sign petition calling for UK to grant asylum to Saudi woman who escaped ‘abusive’ family

More than 80,000 people have signed a petition calling on the British government to grant asylum to a young Saudi woman who fears that her life may be in danger if she is sent back to her home country.

Eighteen-year-old Rahaf Mohammed al-Qunun fled what she said was prolonged abuse from her family, and was on her way to claim asylum in Australia when she was detained in Bangkok on Saturday.

Thai immigration officials were in the process of deporting Ms Qunun, but hours ahead of her scheduled departure she barricaded herself in her hotel room and appealed for help on social media, garnering tens of thousands of responses.

“My brothers and family and the Saudi embassy will be waiting for me,” she wrote on Twitter, while sharing pictures of a mattress blocking the doorway of her room. “They will kill me. My life is in danger. My family threatens to kill me for the most trivial things.”

She added that she had been imprisoned for months inside her house, and suffered “physical, emotional and verbal abuse”.

Amid an outcry from rights groups, Thai authorities eventually reversed their decision to send her back, but her status in the country is still unsure. The United Nations’ refugee agency is currently investigating her case, while her supporters are calling for a third country to step in.

A petition on Change.org calling on UK foreign secretary Jeremy Hunt to grant Ms Qunun asylum has been signed by more than 80,000 people at the time of writing. It follows a direct appeal from Ms Qunun to Mr Hunt on Twitter on Sunday.

“I appeal to you personally @Jeremy_Hunt to organise an emergency UK travel document for me. My life is on the line,” she wrote.

A Foreign and Commonwealth Office spokesperson told The Independent they were "concerned" about the case and were "monitoring developments closely."

Ms Qunun was granted a temporary permit to enter Thailand, and UN officials interviewed Ms Qunun on Tuesday as part of their investigation into her case for refugee status.

“It could take several days to process the case and determine next steps,” UNHCR’s Thailand representative Giuseppe de Vincentiis said in a statement.

But her case may be complicated further by the arrival of her father and brother in Bangkok. Thailand’s immigration chief, Surachate Hakpan, said the pair arrived in the country on Tuesday and wanted to talk to Ms Qunun.

There are concerns now that Ms Qunun’s family will try to bring her back to Saudi Arabia. Phil Robertson, Human Rights Watch’s deputy director for Asia, told Reuters that her father’s arrival was a “source of concern”.

“We have no idea what he is going to do ... whether he will try to find out where she is and go harass her. We don’t know whether he is going to try to get the embassy to do that,” he said.

The Australian government has reportedly said it would consider an application for a humanitarian visa after the UNHCR has completed its investigation.

Ms Qunun’s ordeal comes at a time when Saudi Arabia’s rights record is under increased scrutiny following the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, which caused international outrage.

It has also shone a light on the country’s guardianship laws, which stipulate that a woman cannot travel abroad, work or open a bank account without the permission of a male “guardian”. Rights groups say the practice traps women in abusive relationships.

“Saudi women fleeing their families can face severe violence from relatives, deprivation of liberty, and other serious harm if returned against their will,” said Michael Page, deputy Middle East and North Africa director at Human Rights Watch. “Thai authorities should immediately halt any deportation, and either allow her to continue her travel to Australia or permit her to remain in Thailand to seek protection as a refugee.”

Officials from the Saudi embassy in Bangkok met with Thailand’s immigration police on Tuesday, as the country has tried to distance itself from the affair.

“The kingdom of Saudi Arabia has not asked for her extradition. The embassy considers this issue a family matter,” the embassy said in a post on Twitter.