‘As a gay man who fled Rwanda, I’m horrified by the UK government’s asylum plan’
Innocent Uwimana, a gay man from Rwanda who came to the UK 20 years ago, reacts to the UK government vowing to move forward with its plan to send people seeking asylum to Rwanda – even after the Supreme Court deemed it unlawful.
WORDS BY INNOCENT UWIMANA I was deeply shocked when I learned that the UK government was planning to deport LGBTQIA+ people seeking asylum to Rwanda knowing that they would be persecuted on the basis of their sexual orientation or gender identity.
I have faced discrimination in Rwanda, I know how it destroys the lives of thousands of people. Homosexuality is not explicitly criminalised but there are no laws protecting LGBTQIA+ people.
Every day LGBTQAI+ people face discrimination and violence such as arbitrary arrests, forced marriage, beatings, humiliation and denied access to education and employment.
