Most asylum cases rest on the credibility of the applicant.
Language and cultural barriers make it especially difficult for judges to determine whether an immigrant is telling the truth or making up a story. Most judges do not have specialized expertise in the customs of people from other countries. And in their rush to move cases along, some judges cut short an immigrant's testimony. The Court also noted that in her demeanor . . . He also criticized the woman for not applying for asylum at the U.S. Embassy in Ethiopia.