Victory for Eddy

Brilliant news – it’s just been announced that Eddy Cosmas is to be granted asylum in Britain. Thanks to the efforts of various campaigning groups, including Movement for Justice, and 38 Degrees members.

Some 38 Degrees members may remember Eddy’s story from just under a year ago. Eddy was a gay rights activist from Tanzania, who was seeking asylum in Britain as he faced life imprisonment in Tanzania for being gay.

At the time the Home Office was looking to fast-track Eddy’s deportation on the grounds that he had no legitimate grounds for claiming asylum, ignoring the complex nature of his case.

‘Fast-tracking’ was a practise set in place by the Home Office more than a decade ago to deal more quickly with asylum seekers whom it was judged, had no legitimate grounds for seeking asylum. Despite evidence to suggest that it was not safe for Eddy to be returned to Tanzania, the Home Office was insisting that he had no case.

38 Degrees members played a key role. Thousands of  us emailed Theresa May asking her to reconsider the case however, the Home Office was recently forced to reassess Eddy’s case, deciding in favour of his asylum request.

By working together with campaigners such as, LGBT Asylum News and our friends at AllOut.org, we were able to prevent Eddy’s rushed deportation. This gave the Home Office time to consider his case properly – and ultimately to decide to grant him asylum.