[Code of Federal Regulations] [Title 8, Volume 1] [Revised as of January 1, 2005] From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access [CITE: 8CFR1208.5] [Page 849-850] TITLE 8--ALIENS AND NATIONALITY CHAPTER V--EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF IMMIGRATION REVIEW, DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE PART 1208_PROCEDURES FOR ASYLUM AND WITHHOLDING OF REMOVAL--Table of Contents Subpart A_Asylum and Withholding of Removal Sec. 1208.5 Special duties toward aliens in custody of the Service. (a) General. When an alien in the custody of the Service requests asylum or withholding of removal, or expresses a fear of persecution or harm upon return to his or her country of origin or to agents thereof, the Service shall make available the appropriate application forms and shall provide the applicant with the information required by section 208(d)(4) of the Act, except in the case of an alien who is in custody pending a credible fear determination under Sec. 1208.30 or a reasonable fear determination pursuant to Sec. 1208.31. Although the Service does not have a duty in the case of an alien who is in custody pending a credible fear or reasonable fear determination under either Sec. 1208.30 or Sec. 1208.31, the Service may provide the appropriate forms, upon request. Where possible, expedited consideration shall be given to applications of detained aliens. Except as provided in paragraph (c) of this section, such alien shall not be excluded, deported, or removed before a decision is rendered on his or her asylum application. (b) Certain aliens aboard vessels. (1) If an alien crewmember or alien stowaway on board a vessel or other conveyance alleges, claims, or otherwise makes known to an immigration inspector or other official making an examination on the conveyance that he or she is unable or unwilling to return to his or her country of nationality or last habitual residence (if not a national of any country) because of persecution or a fear of persecution in that country on account of race, religion, [[Page 850]] nationality, membership in a particular social group, or political opinion, or if the alien expresses a fear of torture upon return to that country, the alien shall be promptly removed from the conveyance. If the alien makes such fear known to an official while off such conveyance, the alien shall not be returned to the conveyance but shall be retained in or transferred to the custody of the Service. (i) An alien stowaway will be referred to an asylum officer for a credible fear determination under Sec. 1208.30. (ii) An alien crewmember shall be provided the appropriate application forms and information required by section 208(d)(4) of the Act and may then have 10 days within which to submit an asylum application to the district director having jurisdiction over the port- of-entry. The district director may extend the 10-day filing period for good cause. Once the application has been filed, the district director, pursuant to Sec. 1208.4(b), shall serve Form I-863 on the alien and immediately forward any such application to the appropriate Immigration Court with a copy of the Form I-863 being filed with that court. (2) Pending adjudication of the application, and, in the case of a stowaway the credible fear determination and any review thereof, the alien may be detained by the Service or otherwise paroled in accordance with Sec. 1212.5 of this chapter. However, pending the credible fear determination, parole of an alien stowaway may be permitted only when the Attorney General determines, in the exercise of discretion, that parole is required to meet a medical emergency or is necessary for a legitimate law enforcement objective. (c) Exception to prohibition on removal. A motion to reopen or an order to remand accompanied by an asylum application pursuant to Sec. 1208.4(b)(3)(iii) shall not stay execution of a final exclusion, deportation, or removal order unless such stay is specifically granted by the Board of Immigration Appeals or the immigration judge having jurisdiction over the motion. [62 FR 10337, Mar. 6, 1997, as amended at 64 FR 8488, Feb. 19, 1999; 65 FR 76132, Dec. 6, 2000]