Asauna-Neopalita Relations

This article is about the relations between Neopalita and Asauna, both of which are island federations in the Western Outer Region. Asauna has an embassy in Neapolis while Neopalita has an embassy in New Mildred. Both countries are bordered beside each other, and they are both members of the Western Outer Union. They both have strong ties with the Yoshi States, Desert Island and the European Union.

Despite this however, both countries have sour relations between each other, and they have greatly deteriorated since the reign of King Michael III in September 2021. King Simmons hates Neopalita in general and the country has historically deported Neopalitan citizens trying to flee from there. A complete blockade that was signed in 1943 was tightened in October 2021, and it prohibits all persons and businesses in Asauna from doing any business with Neopalita or its people, and this also extends towards foreign companies that actively do business in Asauna.

For many years, primarily from the 1920's to the early 1990's King Simmons ordered the government to kill any and all Neopalitans trying to escape their country if they entered or attempted to enter Asaunese soil, and those that avoid detection were later deported back where they faced punishment for fleeing.

## Discrimination

Asauna is routinely criticized by rights activists for discriminating against Neopalitan minorities. There are no laws in Asauna that prohibit discrimination and there are no laws that protect them in the way that they protect Asaunese people. They are often times banned from getting a job, attending a club, or going into a restaurant just because of their appearance even though it is legal, and they often face intimidation and harassment by citizens and even authorities for no reason.

## Immigration

The Asaunese federal government has historically persecuted Neopalitan citizens for entering the country illegally, and more often times than not, are almost always deported back to Neopalita if found to have eluded the Asaunese Border Patrol successfully. Until 1988, Neopalitans were not allowed to legally leave their country at all, and those that did would be captured and sent to a labor camp. Neopalitan citizens often times would flee to Asauna, though they would either end up killed or deported back to their country to face punishment.

As a result, Neopalitans ended up fleeing to Desert Island and the Yoshi States, but they would also end up deported back to face punishment. Asauna has severe criminal penalties for entering illegally and anyone who enters the country illegally can be convicted and are subject to severe punishment. Neopalitans may not enter Asaunese soil under any circumstances and anyone attempting to enter the country are deported out of the country.

Asauna requires its own citizens to have government permission to enter Neopalita, while the latter requires a visa for Asaunese citizens. In addition, the immigration policy against Neopalita also works the other way around. The country has severe civil penalties for Asaunese citizens who attempt to travel to Neopalita without special validation, and anyone that attempts to go to Neopalita will face heavy handed punishments upon return. Asaunese citizens have figured out ways to avoid prosecution by going there from Leland, though the government was eventually made aware of this and the government arrested citizens going to Neopalita from this route.

## Reasons For Deterioration Of Relations

Even though Asauna and Neopalita are direct neighbors of each other and are both important members of the Western Outer Union, the two countries have repeatedly hated each other due to King Mildred's dislike for Neopalita and its citizens in general, and the succeeding King Simmons's refusal to apologize to Neopalita, and the latter's strong mutual distrust with Asauna in general.

## Blockade Of Neopalita

King Mildred imposed a strict blockade on Neopalita in 1943 and it was rapidly expanded in October 2021 following King Michael III's recognition of Kosovo. The blockade makes it illegal for all persons and companies based in Asauna to do any business with Neopalita, and international calls (i.e., cellular calls, satellite calls, teleconferencing, videoconferencing, text messages, e-mails, etc.,) to and from Neopalita are illegal in Asauna and can lead to severe penalties.

## Tourism

There are no tourist visas for either national to enter the other country and due to tensions between both countries, additional requirements and restrictions are in place, and any person from either country who wishes to go into the other must have special permission from both governments. There are also limits on reasons for going into each other's countries and violation of the law can lead to severe punishment.

Since King Michael III ascended to the throne in Neopalita in September 2021, Neopalitan citizens can now visit Asauna legally, but restrictions still remain in place due to tensions. In Asauna however, the restrictions are still the same, and Asaunese nationals are not permitted to go to Neopalita for tourism under Asaunese law, which technically is an obstacle for Neopalita's plans to ease and wane restrictions and to comply with WOU law.