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Gay refugee fears for his life when he’s deported: nine years in UK do not matter at all

Worcester News 12/04/2019

The story of a man, who fears for his future due to potential deportation to Bangladesh following the rejection of his appeal for asylum by the UK Home Office, collected by Grace Walton.

A gay man fears for his future after he was told he will be deported back to Bangladesh as the Home Office has rejected his appeal for asylum.

The man has been living in Worcester for nine years and says he is worried he will not be safe if he has to return to his home country.

He does not want to be identified because of his safety fears but spoke to the Worcester News after he received a notice from the Home Office stating his time is up in the United Kingdom and he will be deported.

He believes that, as a gay man, he will be persecuted upon his return to Bangladesh as the country has some of the harshest anti-gay laws in the world, with a maximum penalty of life imprisonment.

It was this that led him to apply for asylum and he subsequently faced an interview conducted by the Home Office Detained Asylum Casework (DAC) team.

During the interview, he explained his horror at the idea of returning and said he believed he will be treated badly because of his homosexuality.

He said: “I had claimed asylum based on my political opinion and sexual orientation.

“I can’t be myself in Bangladesh, I cannot go back there.”

The man claims the interviewing officer from Home Office DAC asked him explicit questions during the asylum interview.

He says he was asked about how often he had sex and to describe what men’s body parts were like.

He added: “You should not have to explain why you are part of the LGBT community. No one should have to explain who they are or who they sleep with. No one should have to disclose explicit and sexual details to prove they are a gay man. There are many LGBTI+ individuals, whom are asexual.”

Following the interview, a caseworker considered his claim which was then refused by the Home Office.

It said the refusal was because his claim for asylum on the account of homosexuality is vague.

He told the Worcester News he is terrified of going back to Bangladesh, as he will be prosecuted if he returns known to be a homosexual.

The man has claimed he has not received a transcript of the interview.

As it stands, he will be deported.

[…]