Jolly Olde Englande: almost American in their policies.

[theweaselking]

Gay Iranian student is at college in the UK. He learns that his boyfriend back home has been arrested, interrogated, and hanged - and that the boyfriend outed *him* before he die.

This means that if he goes home to Iran, he will be executed, because that's what happens to gays in Iran.

So he applies to asylum in the UK, on the grounds that if he returns to Iran, he will be killed.

The UK government has not only denied it, but they simultaneously:
A) acknowledge that gays in Iran are executed by the government for being gay,
and
B) claim that there is no repression of gays in Iran.

He's fled to Holland and claimed asylum status from the UK, at the moment.

Comments

[chaosrah.livejournal.com]

man, what the effin eff!

[silmaril.livejournal.com]

(Psst, typo: "claimed asylum status from Holland, at the moment.", maybe.)

[theweaselking.livejournal.com]

No. He's claiming asylum *from the UK*, because the UK wants Holland to give him back to them, so that they can give him back to Iran.

And EU rules say that he has to claim asylum in the first friendly country he reaches - which was the UK. So in Holland, he's not claiming asylum from Iran. He's claiming asylum from the UK, arguing that if he's returned to the UK, he will be killed.

Which is true, of course. It's interesting, anyway.

[matgb]

Our current placeholders with no mandate are running scared of any "bad publicity" which basically ties them in knots as the tabloids have made immigration and asylum "an issue" despite it not actually being a) linked or b) an actual problem

My lot are running the story hard, but unfortunately we're the third party and they only like stealing our policies on economic policy :-(

[thette.livejournal.com]

*deep sigh*

This happens all the time in Sweden. The only way gay Iranians can get asylum is if a Swedish newspaper will publish their story with name and face. That way, they can be sure the Iranian police knows about it.

So, if you were Swedish journalists, how many stories about gay Iranians could you write?

[theweaselking.livejournal.com]

I'd be tempted to make it an ongoing column, really. "This week, *these* three men and women are going to be murdered if our government washes it's hands of them like it did to *those* men and women [with names and pictures] who are now dead because of it."

A few a week could really add up in a hurry.

[hakerh.livejournal.com]

THIS. That would be a really good idea.

[wiseacre.livejournal.com]

Similar case in Canada, except with a gay rights activist from Jamaica. Difference is that the case is going to be heard. I certainly think he should be allowed to stay here. I also think anybody who cares about gay rights should not go to Jamaica for a holiday and should let the Jamaican government know why.

[theweaselking.livejournal.com]

Fundamental difference: In Jamaica, it's not official government persecution, legally enforced. It's *illegal* persecution that the government doesn't do anything about.

I think he should be allowed to stay, too, but the Jamaican case is actually *less* strong, because it takes an angry mob in Jamaica. In Iran, the police pick you up right at the airport after you're deported there.

[wiseacre.livejournal.com]

Yes, I think a government policy of executions for homosexual acts gives one a strong case for refugee status. If it is explicitly stated in the law, there should be no question that your life is in danger if returned to the country in question. The Jamaica case is the harder one to prove because the Jamaican government will, of course, deny that it does nothing to protect people who are being killed. That said, inaction in the face of injustice is complicity.

[corruptedjasper.livejournal.com]

I'm not that convinced that he'll get asylum here either. Although on the upside, Geert Wilders' little hateparade may make the entire middle east so pissed off at .nl that we can't deport anybody to there, because just coming from here will be enough to get them killed.

[sparkindarkness.livejournal.com]

Freaking anti-immigration fanatics are screaming blue murder if we allow anyone into the country. They'd rather see good people die and be tortured. Such scum disgust me to my core