LGBTQ+ refugee claims homophobic abuse ‘common’ in immigration detention centres

A Nigerian LGBTQ+ activist, who sought asylum in the UK, has spoken about the “ever-present” dangers for queer refugees inside immigration detention centres.

Activist Joel Mordi was forced to seek asylum after organising Nigeria’s first month-long Pride in 2019.

Nigeria is an staunchly homophobic country where homosexuality is punishable by up to 14 years in prison, with the death penalty enforced for some “crimes” in various regions.

But instead of finding safety in Britain, Mordi was met with homophobic threats and abuse while in a detention centre.

“The shock of being placed in detention was immense,” he said. “I had escaped from a country where my life was at risk, only to be confined in a place that felt no less oppressive. The immigration detention centre was a prison in all but name, and the trauma of my experiences in Nigeria was compounded by the harsh conditions I faced inside.”

Immigration detention in the UK is a highly controversial practice of holding individuals in centres until their immigration status is resolved.

The centres are often criticised for their prison-like conditions.

The not-for-profit organisation Detention Action describes detention as a “fundamental abuse of human rights.” The UK is the only country in Europe where immigration detention can be indefinite.

Writing in Dazed, Mordi said he was forced to be “constantly vigilant” and was forced to conceal his sexuality for fear of becoming a target.

“This concealment was a painful reminder of the life I had hoped to leave behind,” he said. “The lack of support from the staff made everything worse. Mental-health services were inadequate and many of us were left to cope with our trauma alone.

“Nightmares and panic attacks became part of my daily routine and there seemed to be no end in sight.”

‘As an LGBTQ+ person, the threats and dangers inside were ever-present’

Rainbow Migration, a charity that aims to tackle anti-LGBTQ+ bigotry against migrants, claims that queer people are especially at risk of bullying, harassment and isolation in immigration detention centres.

“For LGBTQI+ people, the impact can be devastating,” the charity says in a petition to end the detention of queer migrants. “Detention deprives them of their freedom and cuts them off from support networks. They are bullied and discriminated against by staff and others inside.

“Nobody should be detained indefinitely with no idea when they might be set free. And no LGBTQI+ person should be locked up and subjected to LGBTQI-phobic bullying and abuse.”

Since gaining refugee status in 2021, Mordi has been a vocal advocate for LGBTQ+ rights and has called for the end of immigration detention, especially for LGBTQ+ people.

“As an LGBTQ+ person, the threats and dangers inside were ever-present,” he said. “Homophobic bullying and harassment were common, especially from fellow detainees.”

Mordi said that his journey from Nigeria to the UK had been “fraught with challenges,” but that it has, at the same time, reinforced his belief in activism and solidarity.

He called upon other LGBTQ+ refugees to share their stories and demand change, to help “work towards a future where no one must endure the horrors of detention”.

Earlier this year, the University of York undergraduate won a prestigious Diana Legacy Award in recognition of his social action and humanitarian work.

Share your thoughts! Let us know in the comments below, and remember to keep the conversation respectful.