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‘Safe’ Rwanda is refusing LGBTQ+ asylum seekers, Home Office was told in 2022

Government was officially warned of difficulties faced by LGBTQ+ asylum seekers two years ago

By Adam Bychawski
‘Safe’ Rwanda is refusing LGBTQ+ asylum seekers, Home Office was told in 2022
The government claims Rwanda is safe for asylum seekers, despite evidence showing it was told otherwise in 2022 | Dan Kitwood/Getty Images
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The Home Office knew Rwandan officials had discriminated against LGBTQ+ asylum seekers when it backed the country’s human rights record, openDemocracy can reveal.

In its supporting evidence for its Safety of Rwanda Bill, the government department admitted it was previously warned that LGBTQ+ people had been blocked from submitting asylum claims in the country.

The evidence, published last week, showed the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) told the government of the difficulties LGBTQ+ asylum seekers face in Rwanda in March 2022.

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