Stop deporting gay refugees

Victims of homophobic persecution refused asylum

Gays sent back risk jail, torture and execution

17 May is International Day Against Homophobia

Protest: Defend Gay Asylum Seekers
Date: Wednesday, 17 May 2006
Time: 12 – 2 PM
Place: The Home Office, 2 Marsham Street, London SW1

Attending the protest in defence of gay asylum seekers will be lesbian
and gay refugees who will tell their stories of victimisation in their
home countries and abuse in the UK by the Home Office.

To mark the second International Day Against Homophobia, Lesbian and
gay people will protest outside the Home Office to highlight the
plight of gay asylum seekers who have fled homophobic persecution in
countries like Pakistan, Uganda, Sudan, Jamaica, Iran, Belarus,
Algeria, Iraq, Nigeria and Egypt.

The Home Office is being called to account for its five failings:

- No training on sexual orientation issues for asylum staff and
adjudicators
- No official policy supporting the right of refugees to claim asylum
on the grounds of sexual orientation
- No action to stamp out the abuse of gay refugees in UK asylum
detention camps
- No accurate, up-to-date information on the victimisation of gay
people in violently homophobic countries
- No adequate access to proper legal representation for gay asylum
applicants

"On this International Day Against Homophobia, we want to express
support for gay people in other countries who are suffering arrest,
imprisonment, torture and murder. We are demanding that the UK
government offers refuge from persecution," said Derek Lennard of
GALHA, UK coordinator of IDAHO.

Research by OutRage!, based on its work with gay asylum claimants,
shows that the Home Office is failing lesbian and gay asylum seekers.

"The Home Office does not explicitly accept persecution on the grounds
of sexual orientation as a legitimate basis for gaining asylum," said
Brett Lock of OutRage!, who is currently documenting a major expose of
homophobic bias in the asylum system.

"Low legal aid funding means most gay asylum applicants fail because
they have sub-standard representation at their asylum hearings. The
Home Office information on homophobic persecution around the globe is
poorly researched and often downplays the true scale of anti-gay
victimisation.

"The shocking stories of homophobic abuse and inhumane conditions
inside the UK's asylum detention centres are a national scandal," said
Mr Lock.

Further info:
Derek Lennard, IDAHO: 07921 188 329
Brett Lock, OutRage!: 0770 843 5917

ENDS

See also:

www.idaho-uk.org

 http://www.ilga.org/news_results.asp?LanguageID=1&FileID=791&FileCategory=1&ZoneID=7

and most other gay related websites............