if you are gay or lesbian and you can be persecuted and even arrest by your very own government. As difficult as it is for us to believe in the west, there are many countries around the globe where government persecution and prosecution of LGBT people is a daily thing . The persecution comes in two types . Persecution by police and other government officials in a place where being LGBT is not illegal , and official persecution by the Authorities because being LGBT is illegal! Prejudiced police officers and others acting extra-legally is one thing, but it is remarkable that many countries have officially sanctioned programs for entrapping and prosecuting homosexuals because being gay is illegal.
What is even more amazing about this is that it is happening right under out noses right here, just a few hundred miles away from the United States. The island of Jamaica has very draconian laws against homosexuality. Government officers run on election platforms of proactively prosecuting homosexuals. There is a Enormous quantity of anti-LGBT rhetoric being spoken by politicians local and nationwide. In fact, the present President of Jamaica ran a campaign with a theme song proclaiming “kill the gay man.”
What is emerging is that developed nations are starting to grant asylum to LGBT people who come from countries that are particularly aggressive in the prosecution and persecution of homosexuals . Not many individuals realize it, but asylum isn’t just for political refugees.
Under the UN Treaty Convention Against Torture, if people believe they are at real risk for suffering torture because of their beliefs whether they are political or not, they are possibly qualified for asylum in the United States, as well as some other western countries. In fact, as of Feb 2011, an estimated 35 men and women were granted asylum in the US on the basis of their encounters and fears of living in Jamaica and being gay.
An asylum application is not like filling in a simple form. All risks and experiences of abuse and torture must be carefully documented before the application is successful . Many people think that the application is one of the more difficult immigration processes in the US. A person who thinks they are qualified for gay asylum should seek out experienced counsel to help you navigate these difficult legal procedures. A person who is only a Jamaican gay person who has not suffered discrimination and persecution may or may not be eligible.