Gay asylum seekers to UK face humiliation

[isanbirder]

http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2014/feb/08/gay-asylum-seekers-humiliation-home-office

A confidential Home Office document leaked to the Observer reveals how one bisexual asylum seeker was asked a series of lurid questions by a Home Office official, including: "Did you put your penis into x's backside?" and "When x was penetrating you, did you have an erection? Did x ejaculate inside you. Why did you use a condom?"

[Scott]

When I worked in refugee work, I interviewed gay applicants who have never had sex with anyone, male or female. They simply know that they are attracted only to other men. In some cases, the claim is based not on who or what they are attracted to, but whether the community and gov't perceive them as being gay.

In one case, for example, a rather effeminate Iranian young man was put in a bathtub by his family and had kerosene poured on him and was lit on fire. When he went to a public (gov't) hospital, he was refused treatment. He did live and was processed for refugee status after fleeing to Turkey. His scars, by the way, are much deeper than the burns he sustained.

[robertthebruce]

When I worked in refugee work, I interviewed gay applicants who have never had sex with anyone, male or female. They simply know that they are attracted only to other men. In some cases, the claim is based not on who or what they are attracted to, but whether the community and gov't perceive them as being gay.

In one case, for example, a rather effeminate Iranian young man was put in a bathtub by his family and had kerosene poured on him and was lit on fire. When he went to a public (gov't) hospital, he was refused treatment. He did live and was processed for refugee status after fleeing to Turkey. His scars, by the way, are much deeper than the burns he sustained.

How sad is this story, can you believe people would do this to a family member, or a fellow human being..

So So Sad....

[Scott]

For refugees, it's not what the family does, but what the gov't does -- or in this case doesn't do, that counts. For a lot of gays in different parts of the world, when they face a problem, they have no recourse.

At that time, it was also hard to find resettlement countries for those that were determined to be refugees. It was often necessary to look for other reasons to give them refugee status to insure acceptance by a 3rd country.

[AyG]

Title is misleading. It's "UK" not "US".

[Scott]

Sorry, my bad.