Amid the xenophobic violence that swept across Gauteng in early September, Kenyan asylum seeker George Barasa finally got his wish: to find a place where he feels safe and secure.
Barasa’s application to be resettled to Canada was approved and he left South Africa during the two weeks of violence that swept across the province, resulting in at least 12 people being killed. He is now living in Toronto and says it was a “weird feeling … to be treated well”.
The Kenyan authorities issued a warrant of arrest for Barasa as homosexuality is illegal in Kenya. People found guilty of same-sex relations still face up to 14 years in prison under Kenya’s regressive, colonial-era penal code. The officer’s report states: “Your claim is totally contradicting country information of Kenya as claimed there is fully protection of the state only the public are the ones who are gay and lesbian according to the country information of Kenya and this matter should have been reported to the police [sic].”
Barasa hopes he can build a new life for himself in Canada. One wouldn’t blame him if he felt resentment towards South Africa and the officials who dealt with his case, but he says he won’t be filled with anger or hate.
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