An 18-year-old woman sits in a hotel room at a Bangkok airport. A desk and mattress are pushed against the door, forming a barricade. She films herself pleading for help from "any country that would protect me".

Her name is Rahaf Mohammed al-Qunun. She fled Saudi Arabia after renouncing Islam, fearing that her family might kill her. Under the kingdom's strict laws, apostasy is punishable by death.

But after reaching Thailand on her way to seek asylum in Australia, the teenager was detained by Saudi officials who confiscated her passport. She was taken to a hotel, where she locked herself in to stop immigration officials deporting her on a flight back to Kuwait on Monday morning.

Her videos and the #SaveRahaf hashtag rapidly spread across social media, making headlines around the world. Thai officials soon relented under the pressure.

Al-Qunun is now under United Nations (UN) protection and her passport has been returned, but her future remains uncertain. Her father arrived in Bangkok yesterday, but he has not yet been allowed to see his daughter.

"Saudi women fleeing their families can face severe violence from relatives [...] if returned against their will," warned Michael Page of Human Rights Watch.

The case highlights the ongoing plight of women in Saudi Arabia. Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) has introduced a raft of reforms for women, including letting them drive for the first time. And as of Monday, Saudi women must be notified by text when their husbands divorce them.

But the Kingdom's oppressive guardianship laws remain firmly in place. They require women to get permission from a male relative to travel abroad, work or marry. Women who disobey their families face imprisonment.

Al-Qunun's case comes months after the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi highlighted Saudi Arabia's vicious human rights record and sent relations with the West plummeting.

Around the world, the 18-year-old's battle is far from unique. Every day, 44,400 people are forced to flee from persecution or conflict. Over half of the world's 25.4 million refugees are under 18.

Saudi Arabia has a contradictory stance on women's rights, introducing reforms with one hand and imposing brutality with the other. Is the kingdom really making progress, or is it just a show for outsiders? Is the West powerless to stop Saudi Arabia's rights abuses?

Most will agree that it's wrong to keep women trapped in Saudi Arabia. Is it just as wrong for another country to refuse them entry? Globally, more people have been forced to leave their homes than ever before. Is social media the best way to stop asylum seekers being deported? What about the cases that don't get any attention?