Rahaf al-Qunun: Saudi teen who fled family arrives in her new home Canada

Tired but smiling, an 18-year-old Saudi woman who said she feared death if deported back home arrived in Canada on Saturday, where she was offered asylum in a case that attracted global attention after she mounted a social media campaign.

"This is Rahaf Al Qanun, a very brave new Canadian," Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland said arm-in-arm with the Saudi woman in Toronto's airport.

Rahaf Mohammed Alqunun smiled broadly as she exited an airport arrival door sporting a Canada zipper hoodie and a UN High Commissioner for Refugees hat, capping a dramatic week that saw her flee her family while visiting Kuwait and before flying to Bangkok.

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Once there, she barricaded herself in an airport hotel to avoid deportation and tweeted about her situation.

On Friday, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced that the country would accept Alqunun as a refugee.

Her situation has highlighted the cause of women's rights in Saudi Arabia, where several women fleeing abuse by their families have been caught trying to seek asylum abroad in recent years and returned home.  

"She is obviously very tired after a long journey and she preferred to go and get settled," Freeland added. Alqunun flew to Toronto via Seoul, South Korea, according to Thai immigration Police Chief ​​​​​​​Surachate Hakparn.

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Alqunun tweeted two pictures from her plane seat one with what appears to be a glass of wine and her passport and another holding her passport while on the plane with the hashtag "I did it" and the emojis showing a plane, hearts and a wine glass.

Canada's decision to grant her asylum could further upset the country's relations with Saudi Arabia. In August, Saudi Arabia expelled Canada's ambassador to the kingdom and withdrew its own ambassador after Canada's Foreign Ministry tweeted support for women's rights activists who had been arrested.

There was no immediate Saudi government reaction, nor any mention of her arrival in state media. Freeland further added that the UN refugee agency found she was in danger in Thailand and that Canada's government is glad it was able to act quickly to offer her refuge.

Alqunun's father arrived in Bangkok on Tuesday, however his daughter refused to meet with him. 

Several other countries, including Australia, had been in talks with the UN's refugee agency to accept Alqunun, Surachate said.

"She chose Canada. It's her personal decision," he said.

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Canada's ambassador saw her off at the airport, where Alqunun thanked everyone for helping her. She plans to start learning more English, though she already speaks it more than passably.

Alqunun was stopped on January 5 at Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi Airport by immigration police who denied her entry and seized her passport. She barricaded herself in an airport hotel room where her social media campaign got enough public and diplomatic support that Thai officials admitted her temporarily under the protection of UN officials, who granted her refugee status Wednesday.

Surachate further added her father whose name has not been released denied physically abusing Alqunun or trying to force her into an arranged marriage, which were among the reasons she gave for her flight. He said Alqunun's father wanted his daughter back but respected her decision.

"He has 10 children. He said the daughter might feel neglected sometimes," Surachate said.

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