Two weeks to make a life-changing decision: return to a country she says forced her into hiding, or face deportation to the very place she fled fearing persecution, torture and possible death.
A 36-year-old Ugandan woman seeking protection in the United States is facing an agonizing dilemma after her asylum application was reportedly rejected, leaving her to face the prospect of voluntarily returning to Uganda or being deported from the United States.
Nana (not her real name), whose identity was withheld for her safety and privacy, says she fled Uganda in November 2013 after experiencing family rejection, community hostility, threats, and what she describes as persecution linked to her sexual orientation.
Now, more than a decade after leaving home in search of safety, she is confronted with the possibility of being returned to the country she had no choice but to escape, according to a court order by the US immigration Judge, a copy of which was observed by our reporter.
In an exclusive conversation with Watchdog News, Nana reiterated that her difficulties began when she came to understand and accept her sexual orientation as a young woman. She says she subsequently experienced rejection from family members and hostility from the community, forcing her to conceal her identity and seek refuge away from her family home.
“My circumstances became increasingly frightening and worse, following the arrest and disappearance of my brother, Jimmy Mayinja, in January 2013, as he was arrested and detained over allegations relating to homosexuality, and was subjected to torture and severe mistreatment while in police custody”, Nana said.
She added that although he was reportedly released without charges, his ordeal did not end there.
In March 2013, she says her brother was arrested again at a friend’s residence in Butambala, and his whereabouts have remained unknown to her since that incident.
The disappearance of her brother became a defining moment in her fear of returning to normal life in Uganda.
She subsequently received information through a Local Council One chairperson that she was required to report to Kireka Police Station on July 19, 2013, over allegations of promoting homosexual acts.
She says she feared arrest and possible mistreatment, particularly in light of what had happened to her brother. She also recalls receiving anonymous telephone calls containing death threats and warnings from members of the community.
On November 7, 2013, she left Uganda for the United States, hoping to find protection and an opportunity to live without concealing her identity.
THE ANTI-HOMOSEXUALITY ACT AND RENEWED FEARS
Although her departure from Uganda occurred in 2013, the subsequent enactment of the Anti-Homosexuality Act, 2023, has added another dimension to her fears.
President Yoweri Museveni signed the legislation the 26th May 2023, and it commenced on the 30th May 2023. The law introduced severe criminal penalties for certain same-sex sexual conduct and related offences.
In April 2024, Uganda’s Constitutional Court upheld most of the legislation but declared four provisions unconstitutional, including provisions relating to premises, reporting obligations and certain circumstances of aggravated homosexuality.
The law nevertheless remains in force, with significant provisions intact.
For Nana, these developments reinforce her concerns about returning to a society where her sexual orientation previously exposed her to rejection, threats and the possibility of state persecution.
Her account raises difficult questions about the circumstances confronting LGBTQ+ Ugandans who seek protection outside the country, particularly those whose personal histories include alleged threats, police encounters, family rejection and experiences of violence.
AN ASYLUM REJECTION AND A RACE AGAINST TIME
Nana’s immediate concern is the reported decision of rejecting her asylum application in the United States.
According to information provided about her case, she has been given approximately two weeks to make plans for her voluntary departure or face deportation to Uganda.
For someone who left home believing that remaining in Uganda could cost her life, the prospect of returning presents an overwhelming personal dilemma.
She maintains that her fear is not simply about being unable to live openly as a lesbian woman. It is rooted in specific experiences, including her brother’s alleged torture and disappearance, threats directed at her, family rejection as well as police summons she says she feared responding to.
The post FACING DEPORTATION: Ugandan Lesbian Woman Fears Returning Home After US Asylum Rejection appeared first on Watchdog Uganda.