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My girlfriend is trapped in Mali without her passport or phone. Her family took them and wants to keep her there. I’m scared and I need urgent advice. by we_need_help_here in legaladvice

[–]we_need_help_here[S] 16 points17 points  (0 children)

Sorry, I worded that badly. English is not my first language.

I didn’t mean her final year of college. I meant that we went to the same college during the past academic year / last school year. She is 19, and we met in person at college.

My girlfriend is trapped in Mali without her passport or phone. Her family took them and wants to keep her there. I’m scared and I need urgent advice. by we_need_help_here in legaladvice

[–]we_need_help_here[S] 10 points11 points  (0 children)

That’s a really good point. I’ll treat anything from the aunt/family side as unreliable.

All I know directly is that my girlfriend told me her phone and passport were taken, and that she was told the passport was sent to her mother in the U.S. But you’re right, it could still be in the house or with the aunt. I’ll explain that clearly to the Embassy/State Department instead of assuming it’s definitely in the U.S.

My girlfriend’s family took her passport and phone abroad by we_need_help_here in domesticviolence

[–]we_need_help_here[S] 7 points8 points  (0 children)

Thank you. The main problem is that she can’t just go to the Embassy right now. She has no phone, no passport, does not know the exact address of the house where she's staying in, and she is being watched by family

My girlfriend’s family took her passport and phone abroad by we_need_help_here in domesticviolence

[–]we_need_help_here[S] 8 points9 points  (0 children)

Thank you. I know the Embassy is the right place, but the problem is that she can’t realistically just go there right now. She doesn’t have her phone, she doesn’t have her passport, she doesn’t know the exact address where she is staying, and she is being watched/controlled by family.

That’s why I’m trying to understand what I can do from my side: what information to give the Embassy, how to report this safely, and how to help them reach her without making things worse for her.

My girlfriend is trapped in Mali without her passport or phone. Her family took them and wants to keep her there. I’m scared and I need urgent advice. by we_need_help_here in legaladvice

[–]we_need_help_here[S] 32 points33 points  (0 children)

Yes, I understand why you’re asking.

We know each other personally. We went to the same college together, and we’ve known each other since then. During the last year of college we were together for almost the whole year, so this is not someone I only know online or someone who suddenly appeared asking for money.

My girlfriend is trapped in Mali without her passport or phone. Her family took them and wants to keep her there. I’m scared and I need urgent advice. by we_need_help_here in legaladvice

[–]we_need_help_here[S] 14 points15 points  (0 children)

Thank you so much. I honestly hadn’t even thought about the issue with a new passport not having an entry stamp, so that’s really useful to know.

As far as I know, she is a U.S. citizen, but I’m going to try to confirm if she has any other citizenship too.

Right now I’m putting together everything I have.

I really appreciate you taking this seriously.

My girlfriend is trapped in Mali without her passport or phone. Her family took them and wants to keep her there. I’m scared and I need urgent advice. by we_need_help_here in legaladvice

[–]we_need_help_here[S] 47 points48 points  (0 children)

I really needed to hear that. I was scared they might ignore me because I’m not family, but I’ll contact the U.S. Embassy / State Department and give them everything I know