In the new government's newly published policy on equalities, there is a statement that says: "We will stop the deportation of asylum seekers who have had to leave particular countries because their sexual orientation or gender identification puts them at proven risk of imprisonment, torture or execution."
This commitment should be welcomed, but with caution. As a statement taken out of context, it is legally meaningless until it is translated into policy changes by the Home Office. On the face of it, it doesn't really change anything. Some people are already accepted by the courts and the Home Office to be refugees because of their sexuality. However, the vast majority are refused, even when they are from places that the Foreign Office regularly condemns for the abhorrent treatment of LGBT people, such as Uganda or Malawi.
Read more at the Guardian
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