Burden of Proof

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BBC Radio 4 - Burden of Proof

Experiences of LGBT+ people seeking asylum in the UK.

What if your safety depended on proving your sexuality? What happens when the state has the power to define queerness? Experiences of LGBT+ people seeking asylum in the UK.

“They didn’t believe that I was gay.”

What if your safety depended on proving your sexuality? What happens when the state has the power to define queerness? And what happens if they don’t believe you?

Jason Thomas-Fournillier applied for asylum in the UK in 2014 after facing escalating homophobic violence in Trinidad. The Home Office initially refused his claim because they did not believe that he was gay. Nine years and several appeals later, he has still not received the right to stay here. He cannot work or vote. He lives on £35 per week.

Jason is not alone. A 2020 report found that LGBT+ people seeking asylum are having claims rejected at a disproportionate rate due to an "impossible burden of proof". Ostracised from their communities, subject to repeated threats, forced into marriages, losing partners to violent attacks, many of the LGBT+ people who seek asylum in the UK have experienced immeasurable trauma. Like Jason, they often find that their journey into the asylum system begins with an assessment of the "credibility" of their queerness. People who have spent their entire lives hiding their sexuality to protect themselves are asked to quickly and confidently reverse these coping mechanisms.

Bridey Addison-Child, a trans-masc British citizen, explores what happens when the authenticity of queerness is enforced by the UK Home Office. Combining testimony with reflections on queer identity, the programme follows the experiences of LGBT+ people in the UK asylum system as they grapple with proving who they are.

Featuring the voices of refugees and people seeking asylum in the UK including Jason Thomas-Fournillier and Aderonke Apata, Bridey also hears from Professor of Refugee Law at SOAS Sarah Singer, and barrister and Visiting Adjunct Professor at the University of Southampton Dr. S Chelvan.

Producer: Bridey Addison-Child
Executive Producer: Jo Meek & Anishka Sharma
Sound Mix: John Cranmer
Image Credit: Jack Owen
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