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My Mom Brought Me To My Home Country W/o My Consent, And Is Forcing Me To Stay Here For 2 Years, Is That Legal?

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I am an underage US citizen in need of immediate advice before following through with my plan. On November 21st, 2024, my mother brought me here (West Africa) without my consent. She told me we were going to Sierra Leone for a wedding, but instead brought me to my home country, did not inform me of her plans, and then left. I never knew when or how she left.

Since then, I have been forced to stay with family members who have been neglectful and verbally abusive. My mother took my passport with her, and I have no way to leave or return to the United States.

She originally said I was here for school and therapy, and that when therapy ends, she'll come for me, but after therapy ended, she changed her story and said I must stay until I finish 10th grade, and that when I complete 10th grade and the school gives documents, then she'll come for me.

Note: I dont understand why she insists that I MUST get school documents before coming back, the same way the first school they tried to put me into (here in West Africa) just looked at my age and wanted to put me in the rightful grade (I didn't have transcripts) is the same thing that'll happen in the US, she also says they'll ask her questions like "why wasn't she in school" and I honestly think that's just an excuse because there's many ways to answer that considering my situation (mental health, money issues, etc) also as far as I'm aware US schools don't decline students just because they're from overboard and don't have transcripts? Or is there something I'm not getting? Because I'm calling bs on that one. Also why is she so willing to put her childs mental health at risk all because she's scared of some questions?.

I started 10th grade last month, and now she says I must stay until I pass to 12th grade. I honestly feel like she's fooling me and will keep leading me on until I'm 20 years old.

My mother is aware of the issues I have with my siblings, but she does not care. I have talked to her multiple times about how being forced to stay here for 2 years would affect me, and she still insists. My mental health is deteriorating, and it feels like all the therapy I received here was for nothing. Being forced to stay in this environment is making my situation worse and I feel trapped.

She excuses it by saying "all those people are your family, you should feel comfortable", and I'm honestly tired of hearing her say that considering she almost never made me feel comfortable.

My mother has left me with no other choice, I can't take being here for 2 years, so I'm planning on going to the embassy, I've already emailed them. And im hoping they'll reply and send an assistant because I don't want to go there by myself, I plan on doing this without my family knowing either, if they think I'm missing I wouldn't care, I hate how they've been tolerating everything my mom has been doing, but I'm aware I'm a minor and things might not always go as they seem. So I'm asking for advice, and also, is what my mom doing illegal? Something about bringing a minor into a country without consent and taking their passport and leaving them there and then forcing them to stay there for 2 years knowing it's deteriorating their mental health seems illegal to me. Location: Liberia

submitted by /u/tallandtomie
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