“We are calling on this government to pause this change and consult with organisations”
BY ELLA GAUCI, IMAGE BY GNEPPHOTO
LGBTQIA+ charity Rainbow Migration has voiced concerns over new changes the Home Office are bringing in to handle some asylum claims.
Under these new changes, people going through the asylum system could only be given one interview before a decision is made about their claim, instead of the current two. Previously, people going through the asylum system had two separate interviews: one to collect basic details and a longer, substantive interview where they could explain in depth why they needed protection.
This new change could place LGBTQIA+ people at risk, Rainbow Migration argues, because the Home Office’s decisions about LGBTQIA+ asylum “continue to be plagued by irrational reasoning, factual error, unfairness, Western stereotypical expectations and disbelief.”
One lesbian woman from Nigeria told Rainbow Migration about her own experience with the Home Office, “I had scars and plasters from the violent attacks back home, but still the Home Office didn’t believe I was a lesbian.”
Rainbow Migration also notes that it has already seen decisions about claims being made rapidly, sometimes just two days after the second interview.
This change could mean that some people will have fewer chances to explain their asylum claim before a decision is made. For LGBTQIA+ people who come from countries that the Home Office deems “safe”, this could be especially harmful.
Speaking on this change, Rainbow Migration said: “We are calling on this government to pause this change and consult with organisations and people who have experience of applying for asylum to ensure people seeking safety here are not denied a fair chance to explain their need for protection.”
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