Gay asylum seekers are going to extreme lengths to prove their sexuality to avoid being returned to countries where they face persecution.
Prior to 2010 some asylum seekers who were at risk if they were to be returned to states where same-sex conduct is illegal, were refused based on the grounds that they could behave with discretion. However, changes introduced by the UK Border Agency in 2010 means that now refusals for asylum are generally made based on the grounds that asylum seekers cannot prove that they are gay.
S Chelvan, says that these new guidelines are causing bizarre consequences and will deliver a lecture this week at the Law Society, dealing with the extreme methods individuals are going to in order to justify their requests for refuge.