Saudi woman Rahaf Mohammed al-Qunun who fled family granted asylum by Canada: Thai authorities
- The 18-year-old will travel transit through South Korea before landing in Canada
A Saudi teenager who fled to Thailand over alleged abuse by her family has been granted asylum in Canada, Thailand’s immigration chief told Reuters on Friday.
Rahaf Mohammed al-Qunun, 18, will be boarding a Korean Air flight from Bangkok to Seoul on Friday night, before boarding a connecting flight to Canada, immigration chief Surachate Hakparn said.
“Canada has granted her asylum. She’ll leave tonight at 11.15pm.”
The office of Canada’s foreign minister however, said it could not confirm that asylum had been granted.
Al-Qunun, 18, was stopped at a Bangkok airport last Saturday by Thai immigration police who denied her entry and seized her passport.
While barricading herself in an airport hotel room, the 18-year-old launched a social media campaign via her Twitter account that drew global attention to her case.
