OMFG I had to go and check that this ACTUALLY happened.
Since when does the BBC ever do chyrons with a political party's branding, rather than their own? Not to mention this is during a pre-election campaign purdah.
(h/t @iainsol.bsky.social)
I've gone international! 🌏 Listen to me yap on @humanists.bsky.social podcast about how the British asylum system is currently failing people seeking asylum due to leaving their religion ❗
www.youtube.com/watch?v=dK8i...
This week's BBC coverage about fraudulent 'immigration advisers' has sparked concern across the sector. Our full statement can be found on our website, but we've broken it down for you. 🧵
Amongst a wide range of academic publications, symposiums, and networks dedicated to the topic. Include a latest book published in 2026 on the 'limits' and 'harms' of LGBTQ+ asylum models: blogs.law.ox.ac.uk/border-crimi...
My own research on apostasy (non-religious) asylum claims finds similar problems e.g., burden of evidence placed on claimants, issues with subjective measures of 'credibility', and expecting identities to be professed in ways British citizens would. eprints.whiterose.ac.uk/id/eprint/23...
In 2024 came the SEREDA report on the experience of LGBTQI+ in mainstream accommodation, found that such accommodation is generally unsafe for LGBTQI+ asylum seekers. www.birmingham.ac.uk/documents/co...
In 2023, the Women and Equalities Commitee held an inquiry into 'Equality and the UK asylum process': finding that LGBT claims face unnecessary risks under the Home Office’s management of the asylum process, and facing an increased risk with asylum reform. publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm5803/cm...
In 2018, Rainbow Migration released their 'Still Falling Short' report www.rainbowmigration.org.uk/wp-content/u...
In 2014 the Home Office commissioned the Chief Inspector of Borders and Immigration to investigate the management of sexuality-based asylum claims assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5a80dd...
The 2013 UKLGIG 'Missing the Mark' report built on this, evidencing that applicants were regularly disbelieved if they had been in opposite-sex relationships, with officials failing to understand the fluidity and complexity of sexual identity. assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5a80dd...
In 2010, UK Lesbian & Gay Immigration Group’s (UKLGIG) ‘Failing the Grade’ report found that credibility was routinely denied on arbitrary grounds, such as late disclosure or lack of same-sex relationships in the UK. www.rainbowmigration.org.uk/wp-content/u...
What's not in the news: Over a decade of research has consistently revealed significant flaws in Home Office decision-making for LGBTQI+/sexuality-based asylum claims, raising real concerns about the UK meeting its obligations under the Refugee Convention.
Below are some examples:
People are trying to build a life in the UK, often without safe or legal routes to asylum, and that shapes the decisions they make. When people feel they have no viable routes, they will do whatever they can to stay safe.
The final decision regarding the credibility of an asylum seeker’s identity lies with the Home Office - what this article does is further deepen a culture of disbelief and scepticism against people seeking asylum, especially for those with identity-based claims.
It remains the role of decision-makers at the Home Office to assess these claims. No matter the evidence, the claimant still has to provide a convincing testimony in an interview, which is intense and intrusive (to say the least).
Yes, there can be opportunistic actors, on both sides!
But there are also many asylum claimants fearing persecution & experienced lawyers and advocacy organisations doing careful, ethical work, supporting people, not coaching them to deceive. Including Ana Gonzalez, who was interviewed ^
My thoughts: It's important to highlight that individuals who base their asylum claims on being LGBTQIA+ make up a tiny proportion of overall cases. And even then, more than a third are refused. 🧵
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Disgusting reporting by BBC using a tiny number of cases to suggest widespread abuse of a system which routinely denies LGBTQIA+ individuals asylum and forces them back into environments of persecution. This article massively distorts the reality of the situation. 1/
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Dr Lucy Potter, Research Fellow at the University of York, said: ‘I’ve met people who have sought asylum who have spent years trying to explain something that most people find simple: Why they no longer believe in the religion they were born into. They have been asked to pinpoint the exact moment they stopped believing, what philosophical arguments convinced them, and why they could not simply return home and stay silent about their views. ‘Many had no documents to prove their disbelief, no community leaders able to verify their identity, and often little language to describe what was, for them, a deeply personal transition. ‘Simply being accused of blasphemy can put your life at risk before any criminal trial, and even then, many individuals labelled as ‘blasphemers’ often struggle to find legal representation. In many countries, the primary threat is non-state actors, which can be mobs, extremist groups, or even family members, and in effect, many are forced to hide their beliefs or continue to conform to practices.’
Twelve countries globally have the death penalty for blasphemy and apostasy (leaving religion). In Pakistan, for example, being openly humanist is impossible without the threat of state arrest and persecution, or as we have too often seen, death by extreme mob violence. @lucypotter.bsky.social
Fascinating to chair @lucypotter.bsky.social present her groundbreaking research and policy recommendations today. This study, conducted in collaboration with @humanists.uk, provides a rigorous examination of the barriers facing non-religious asylum seekers seeking safety in the UK.
After 4 years of work, I’ve published the first-ever report on non-religious asylum claims. This is a groundbreaking step for an often overlooked area of asylum protection.
Please do read and share! ⬇️
'Home Office officials do not understand what apostasy is – this affects how non-religious asylum seekers are recognised, questioned, and believed.' Listen to Dr @lucypotter.bsky.social speak about her groundbreaking research on @humanismnowpod.bsky.social.
humanismnow.buzzsprout.com/2246305/epis...
Twelve countries maintain the death penalty for 'blasphemy' and apostasy. This makes being openly humanist impossible. The Home Office must be able to recognise this, and protect non-religious people fleeing persecution. There must be equal protection for humanists.🧵
humanists.uk/2026/03/24/g...
Just one more day until my report launch - a deep dive into non-religious asylum claims and how people seeking protection based on non-belief and apostasy navigate the asylum system in the UK.
Preview 👇
youtu.be/v7JKZUORkbc?...
#Asylum #HumanRights #MigrationResearch #NonReligious
New stats show the asylum appeals backlog was over 80,000 cases at the end of 2025, relating to around 104,000 people - a 91% increase on a year before. 4 in 10 of all asylum appeals disposed of in the last 3 months of 2025 were withdrawals, the majority of which will be by the Home Office.
This session's now available to watch on YouTube too - youtu.be/-kyRXzDk8Is
During asylum interviews, Interpreters play a role in articulating a claimants story. But, what if interpretations have inadvertently shaped how applicants’ beliefs and identities are understood, translated, and assessed in asylum decision-making? More at our report launch ↓ tinyurl.com/5eedhknf
