{"id":12295,"date":"2022-08-30T19:06:11","date_gmt":"2022-08-30T18:06:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/?p=12295"},"modified":"2023-06-30T09:21:58","modified_gmt":"2023-06-30T08:21:58","slug":"a-culture-of-disbelief-rejection-of-claims-leaves-lgbtq-asylum-seekers-in-danger","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/a-culture-of-disbelief-rejection-of-claims-leaves-lgbtq-asylum-seekers-in-danger\/","title":{"rendered":"A culture of disbelief: rejection of claims leaves LGBTQ+ asylum seekers in danger"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Many queer asylum seekers face the threat of being sent back to countries where they will be persecuted for their sexual orientation and gender identity. How is the British government\u2019s apathy affecting the lives of these people? <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

It was when the lorry came to an abrupt halt in the middle of the night that Salim* felt uneasy. He feared that he would be found. He had been in the cold, dingy trailer of the truck for two nights now, and the nauseating smell of petrol that filled the space, made him feel fuzzy.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

When he got out of the truck, the effects of his dehydration came quick. People gathered around and called for help. But when the ambulance arrived, so did the police.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMy head was turning, and I was panicking… When I came out of the lorry, I passed out and people came to me. I told them I need help, but the police came. And when the police came, they locked my hands.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Salim spent his first night in Britain in the confines of a prison cell. When his sickness worsened, he was taken to a hospital and then brought back to the prison where he spent four more days. Soon after he was released, he knew exactly what he needed to do- Apply for asylum. But this was far from easy. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

He associated officials in uniforms with fear as it triggered past trauma. \u201cIt\u2019s very hard. Nobody understands you,\u201d he says. \u201cI have a lot of anxiety. It has not been easy for me.\u201d  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

For Salim, it took six years to arrive in the UK after he fled Afghanistan because as a gay man, he was under the risk of being persecuted. \u201cThey give a big punishment. If they find out… they will kill you. It’s very hard. People don\u2019t care about you. You are all by yourself,\u201d he says.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

But it took the Home Office two months to send him a letter marked \u2018Refuse\u2019 across it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Salim\u2019s application being denied is not an isolated case. Many asylum seekers face rejections when they apply for sanctuary on the grounds of their sexual orientation. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It was reported that 78% of the applications were rejected largely due to the Home Office\u2019s distrust in the claims of queer people seeking asylum.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mo, a gay asylum seeker who fled the Middle East after facing discrimination for his sexual identity told The Independent<\/em>, \u201cThe Home Office treat me like I\u2019m a liar. I\u2019ve told them my situation, but they don\u2019t believe me… I don\u2019t know how I can prove to them that my story is true.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

As 2000 people seek asylum on the grounds of sexual orientation and gender identity every year, the prime reason for their claims being rejected is that there is \u2018insufficient proof\u2019 of their identity. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Home Office looks for photographs and letters that evidence that an asylum seeker was in a same-sex relationship in their home country. But they often disregard the fact that many of them had to flee overnight after being caught and that they were at the risk of being persecuted. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In an article<\/a> by City University of London<\/em>, Abeo, a Nigerian refugee stated that his interviewer at the Home Office did not believe his claim because he did not \u2018look gay\u2019. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It was noted that the Home Office often expects gay asylum seekers to appear \u2018flamboyant\u2019 and \u2018effeminate\u2019 and lesbian asylum seekers to be \u2018butch\u2019, to fit western queer stereotypes, and when they don\u2019t, their claims are often deemed incredible, according to a study<\/a> in the journal Ethnic and Racial Studies<\/em>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

As a result of these expectations, Maiba, a Zimbabwean asylum seeker told Stonewall <\/em>that when her case was dealt with in court, they questioned her sexual identity because she was not involved in any LGBTQ+ groups and events. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Most queer asylum seekers did not have the luxury of attending LGBTQ+ events, let alone visit support groups in their home countries because of anti-LGBTQ+ laws in place. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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