Kenyan woman to be deported from Sweden after failing ‘gay test’
A Kenyan gay woman is set to be deported from Sweden after she failed a gay test.
Lucy Murugi claims she escaped to Sweden with the help of a cousin after fleeing from harassment and a family that turned its back on her for being a lesbian.
She ended up in Marsta, outside Stockholm, after running away from a slum in Kenya.
She told a Swedish paper that she initially had a hard time opening up about her sexuality, but her self-esteem strengthened as she spent more time in Sweden.
Through contacts with LGBT organizations she could for the first time openly talk about her sexuality.
STORY NOT CREDIBLE
The Sweden immigration board however concluded that her story is not credible enough after failing what is described as the credibility test.
The 28 year-old Murungi was subjected to an in-depth interview with the migration board where she was expected to convince them that she had genuine reasons to be granted asylum.
She said that in the beginning minutes of her interview, she and the interpreter did not understand each other in about ten instances. She described a fear of being misunderstood in a stressful situation.
“I did not understand anything. No one told me what to expect, what I would do or say, or at least give me some guidelines,” said Murugi.
She told a Swedish paper that in Kenya, homosexuality is criminalized and punishable by up to 14 years in prison and it frightens her.
EXPOSE HER TO EXPERIMENT
She added that in Kenya she cannot be open about her lesbianism as it would expose her to harassment.
She added that she would not be able to socialize and would be forced to go underground.
She says she will be alone as she will have no family since they abandoned her and the Kenya police and authorities will arrest you for committing a “crime”.
“I have nowhere to run.” she says.
A person who has a well-founded fear of persecution based on sexual orientation is entitled to asylum in Sweden and Migration Board determines the legitimacy of their claims.