A gay Iranian man in U.K. who says he was raped in Iran “for being Christian” is now facing deportation for the second time.
The 38-year-old man, identified only as “Madhi” in the press, escaped Iran following his attack in 2016. He landed first in Germany, where he was forced to eat garbage and faced persecution by street gangs before moving to the UK last year. There, he managed to start a life.
Unfortunately, because Madhi entered the U.K. illegally, immigration officials have been trying to deport him. The first attempt was made last June and resulted in Madhi attempting suicide over the ordeal.
“Madhi slashed his wrists,” his boyfriend Ian told MetroUK. “He wanted to die. He couldn’t speak for three days. He was put on a plane in just his underpants covered in blood with no medical attention whatsoever.”
U.K. law mandates that anyone entering the country illegally be returned to their country of entry; in Madhi’s case, Germany.
“He was sent to Germany but the authorities there refused him entry,” Ian explains. “Within three hours they put him on a plane and sent him back to England.”
Madhi was allowed to stay in the U.K. for medical treatment. He spent time in a psychiatric ward to tend to his mental health. After his release, he and Ian joined the Winchmore Hill United Reformed Church where they developed a support network.
Now, the church is appealing to the British government to grant Madhi permanent asylum.
“He was tortured based on his Christian faith,” said churchgoer Charlotte Kahn. “And as a gay man, everything is just doubled.”
Members of the Winchmore Hill Church have launched a Change.org petition in hopes of keeping Madhi in the UK. At present, it has already won more than 20,000 signatures.
“It’s a worry that if he is ever sent back to Iran, it will be a death sentence. Even being sent to Germany, he is such a vulnerable individual.”
Smith David
As an African American, I………..
HairiBeast
A link to the petitioner would be handy, as I can’t seem to find it.
Aranos
I wonder why he felt ‘forced to eat trash’ in Germany, since immigrants here get free appartments and all living costs covered until their case has been treated. Then, if they are political refugees or if they face persecution in their home country, they get to stay and they get help to find jobs. Sounds like either the article is not accurate or the guy is a compulsive liar.
masteradrian031
Or… you are wrongly informed about how asylum-seekers are treated in Germany!
One is not an immigrant in Germany prior to having been granted asylum, and meanwhile asylum-seekers are held in buildings, not given free homes or appartments, and not given living-costs! Perhaps yous fail to see the difference between an asylum-seeker and an immigrant who’s case has been dealth with!
MaxH
A lot of Iranians just pretend to convert because apostasy is punishable by death in Iran and they want to ensure they aren’t sent back. And he was perfectly fine in Germany, it is just another case of asylum shopping.
CityguyUSA
Can’t imagine why gay men have self-worth issues.
Creamsicle
The asylum process really reveals how any kind of immigration is highly politicized. How you suffered doesn’t matter nearly as much as where you’re fleeing from and how much money you’re bringing into the country.
A friend of mine resigned from DHS in disgust because her asylum cases from Latin America were routinely denied despite them fleeing violence and threats to their lives. Meanwhile Chinese-Indonesians would use it as a way to get U.S. residency by claiming they were not called the proper honorifics for their age. Those same asylum seekers would then return to Indonesia routinely to check on their investments.
The asylum system IS being abused, but not on the way anti-immigration hawks would have you believe!