An asylum seeker faces being deported to Uganda and being killed for his sexuality – because he couldn’t ‘prove’ he was gay.
Robert Kityo is currently living in Manchester, but was taken to a deportation centre after his latest attempt to claim asylum was refused by the Home Office in the UK.
A letter sent to Kityo rejected his application for asylum, writing:
“It is not accepted that you are a homosexual and an openly gay man.”
Speaking to The Independent, Robert said he is frightened to return to Uganda, and fears being killed for his sexuality:
"I’m frightened that I will be killed if I am sent back to Uganda. It isn’t safe to be a gay man in Uganda.”
The 35-year old has received support from more than 1,900 signatures in a petition to local authorities, with the Bishop of Manchester, Dr. David Walker adding:
“I would say he has a well-founded case for asylum here in the UK.”
Kityo is a volunteer with a number of LGBT groups in the city, including a fellowship for gay Christians.
While Kityo was released from the detention centre this morning, his legal team are now fighting for his right to stay in the UK.
The Anti-Homosexuality Act was overturned in Uganda’s Constitutional Court last year, but human rights campaigners fear it could be re-enacted with homosexuality still treated as a taboo in the country.
Lead Image: Independent UK
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