For Disability History Month, a gay person seeking asylum with autism speaks about his experiences of ableism, racism and homophobia and how they have shaped his migration journey.
“I am a migrant with Autism and I came to the UK because people like me have been treated as “insane” back where we came from, and I was told that in the UK, treating us as such would be considered a hate crime. Additionally I am also openly gay, and I know that’s accepted here legally; but where I came from, if I came out publicly there, I could get a minimum of two (2) years’ imprisonment.
What I didn’t expect was so many establishments in Cardiff alone were very cruel to me, often pretending to be nice and offer me a service, and then suddenly denying me entry after I became a regular. Many were supposedly “safe spaces” but some could be really nasty. One drag queen used racially sensitive words on me. A counselor from an LGBTQ+ counseling service questioned my “suitability” of being in the UK, citing cultural differences as their rationale. My support of Palestine has also made me very unpopular. Nobody in the UK seems to fully understand my situation; even seemingly “queer safe spaces” have been nasty to me because of my race.
This has had a big impact on my wellbeing. I wake up every morning worrying that the UKVI or the Police might send somebody to knock on my door and drag me out. The other day I received a letter “on government service” and I was so scared that I almost passed out, thank God it was just my GP’s letter confirming an appointment. I have even been having insomniac attacks while worrying about where I can get legal advice – the Student Advice Center phone number can apparently no longer dispense legal advice as of last year.
The change of government has been no help at all – the work visa sponsorship minimum wage is still ridiculously high, and the 10-year residential requirement for indefinite leave to remain is still ridiculously long. And legal advice is very hard to find”.-A gay asylum seeker with autism (he/they)
Find out more about our work on the intersections between migration, homophobia, racism and ableism: Who Is Welcome Campaign