Dear friends,
They want to send me back into danger and they say it's my own fault.
My name is Efe and I'm a gay man from Nigeria. My old life ended the day my boyfriend and I were violently attacked in the streets of our hometown. My partner was killed.
Instead of bringing the attackers to justice, the police issued an arrest warrant against me, because it's illegal to be gay in Nigeria. To make things even worse, my partner's family started looking for me, seeking revenge for his death.
I ran away, fearing for my life. After a long and horrifying journey, I ended up in Germany where I felt safe for the first time.
But the nightmare isn't over yet: German authorities want to send me back.
A woman named Anna from the Queer Refugees Network Leipzig (QRNL) is working with my lawyer to make the officials reconsider. But they say it will be hard.
My last hope is you. Anna said public awareness helped turn the tide in similar cases. If you and thousands of other All Out members speak up, the officials might listen.
All I want from the German authorities is to reconsider my case. I told them my story, I told them why I was scared to talk about my sexual orientation. But they won't change their minds.
They say I can't stay in the country because I didn't tell my whole story when I arrived in Italy, the first European country I set foot in during my escape.
What they don't understand: I had just escaped a prison sentence and death threats in Nigeria. On top of that, I had experienced human trafficking and forced prostitution on my long way to Europe.
When I sat in front of Italian officials I was just too scared to talk about my sexual orientation. I had been told my entire life not to trust the authorities with personal matters like this.
Thank you for your support,
Efe
(Please note: The image is for illustration purpose only and does not show me. I chose not to use my photo for security reasons.)
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