Lesbian immigrant fears persecution in Albania (From Echo)
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Lesbian immigrant fears persecution in Albania
4:10pm Friday 2nd October 2009 in News
AN Albanian woman who says she faces persecution in her home country because of her sexuality has been told she must leave the UK.
The woman, named only as K for legal reasons, is living in Southend, and insists she faces persecution in her native country if she is forced to return because she is a lesbian.
In June 2006, her lawyers managed to persuade an immigration judge that she should be allowed to remain in the UK because to send her home would violate her human rights.
But the Asylum and Immigration Tribunal has now overturned that ruling, meaning K will have to go back to Eastern Europe.
The tribunal heard K, in her late 20s, has known since she was a teenager that she was a lesbian.
She says in her home country, lesbians are seen as “vile and disgusting” and when her family found out about her sexual orientation, they told her she was “dead to them” and refused to speak to her.
She says that if she has to return home, she will get depressed and have suicidal thoughts.
At the tribunal, three judges ruled there was no real risk lesbian women in Albania would face treatment amounting to inhuman or degrading that would breach the Human Rights Act.
They said that in general, lesbians in Albania were able to carry on relationships with other women and, even if they faced persecution from their families, would be protected by the state.
Comments(24)
The Grim Reaper.
says...
6:34pm Fri 2 Oct 09
Love my country so much i'd find it hard to leave these shores, worked all my life.
benfleetgeeza
says...
8:08pm Fri 2 Oct 09
benfleetgeeza
says...
8:13pm Fri 2 Oct 09
Bosniavet
says...
8:21pm Fri 2 Oct 09
They said that in general, lesbians in Albania were able to carry on relationships with other women and, even if they faced persecution from their families, would be protected by the state."
Well, based on the tribunal's comments, I can see no reason why Ms K cannot be deported with immediate effect. The law is, & should be, the same for all people regardless of colour, creed or sexual orientation.
artytoit
says...
11:38pm Fri 2 Oct 09
Nebs
says...
11:40pm Fri 2 Oct 09
Hoopla
says...
5:44am Sat 3 Oct 09
Nice one undertaker :)
Winston Smith
says...
8:23am Sat 3 Oct 09
reptile
says...
10:32am Sat 3 Oct 09
Winston Smith wrote:I think it is something to do with the lace up shoes and Brylcreem hair.
Has she got 'lesbian' tattooed on her forehead or something? How will people in Albania know what her sexual preferences are unless she goes out of her way to advertise them?
clangrid
says...
11:39am Sat 3 Oct 09
APR
says...
12:47pm Sat 3 Oct 09
The annoying thing is, we are no doubt paying her legal fees.
.
I wonder which solicitor told her to come up with this story, and how much they get paid ?
ShipShape
says...
9:33pm Sat 3 Oct 09
There's loads of websites featuring many Albanian lesbians, and not all of the girls have mustaches.
Most enjoyable research I've done in years!
undertaker
says...
12:33pm Sun 4 Oct 09
Soozie
says...
1:33pm Sun 4 Oct 09
undertaker wrote:You mean numbnuts ? :)
Whats the bnp got to do with my post you numnut.
LOL
Francis Grubb
says...
9:12pm Sun 4 Oct 09
undertaker wrote:Probably something to do with the way you tried to use a racist term that normal people find unacceptable.
Whats the bnp got to do with my post you numnut.
Just a thought...
Frank
undertaker
says...
6:53am Mon 5 Oct 09
One Star
says...
9:08am Mon 5 Oct 09
undertaker wrote:I think you'll find Fins are Finnish.
Brits are british,aussies are australians,poles are polish.,japs are japanes,fins are finish.I could go on for ages so how the hell is calling a pakistani a p8ki racist.Can some please explain this to me.
ShipShape
says...
9:29am Mon 5 Oct 09
ShipShape
says...
12:40pm Mon 5 Oct 09
Aw, no.. I'm going all Ali G, innit!
Francis Grubb
says...
12:49pm Mon 5 Oct 09
undertaker wrote:Can't fault your logic,Undertaker, but the meaning of words changes with their use; look at the words 'wicked' or 'gay' as prime examples!
Brits are british,aussies are australians,poles are polish.,japs are japanes,fins are finish.I could go on for ages so how the hell is calling a pakistani a p8ki racist.Can some please explain this to me.
Same with the word 'p@ki'; unlike the word 'aussie', its use has been almost wholely negative, used to slag off Pakistanis and Indians, so much so, it's now become viewed as a racist terms of abuse.
Hope that helps!
Frank
undertaker
says...
2:36pm Mon 5 Oct 09
anon anon
says...
7:38am Thu 8 Oct 09
Winston Smith wrote:agree.......send her back and all the others
Has she got 'lesbian' tattooed on her forehead or something? How will people in Albania know what her sexual preferences are unless she goes out of her way to advertise them?
richomack360
says...
8:27am Thu 8 Oct 09
Soozie says...
5:07pm Fri 2 Oct 09
Might do you good -mind you no benefits there so you would lose yours.
Shame