PLEASE SIGN THIS PETITION

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We are usually averse to seeking Petition signatures, and some of you may have received this through other routes; if so, apologies! VERY many thanks to those of you who have already added your names and encouraged others to do likewise! You don't have to be a UK resident to sign.

Godfrey Kawalya is a Ugandan member of the LGBT Catholics Westminster Pastoral Council, based at Farm Street Jesuit Church. He has been in the UK since 2002, having been imprisoned in Uganda on grounds of his sexual orientation, and escaping, via Kenya & Germany. He is one of a number of LGBT asylum seekers within our community, some of whom have been successful in seeking 'leave to remain' in the UK, on similar grounds.

Godfrey's application has been refused, as has any request for judicial review, on the basis that the Home Office doesn't believe he is gay! We learned at last night's Mass that he has also been told to leave his accommodation in Derby, to where he was dispersed by the then Borders Agency, over 2 years ago.

He is hoping to make a fresh application to the Home Office, to try to present new evidence, but given the dissolution of Parliament shortly things have to move swiftly. We have 894 signatures as of now but we need 1000 signatures on the Petition in order for it to be at least considered by the Home Office. How much notice they will take is another matter, although such a tactic has been successful with previous cases.

Please consider signing this, as a matter of urgency, and forwarding to any other contacts and networks you might have:



Many thanks
LGBT Catholics Westminster Pastoral Council