Ugandan lesbian faces deportation from UK

A Ugandan woman who told authorities she was branded with a hot flat iron in her home country because of her sexuality may be forced to leave the United Kingdom.

Betty Tibikawa, 22, was denied asylum and is being detained at Yarl’s Wood immigration removal centre.
Tibikawa says three men attacked her because she’s a lesbian. She says they pinned her down and branded her on her inner thighs with an iron. She was left unconscious and was confined to a bed for two months.

A medical report confirmed Tibikawa’s scars were caused by a flat iron but the UK Border Agency doesn’t believe the injuries resulted from a homophobic attack.

Just last week, deputy prime minister Nick Clegg said the UK would no longer deport refugees back to countries where they face persecution because of their sexual orientation.

In February, Tibikawa was outed in Red Pepper, a Ugandan tabloid.

In an interview published in the Guardian, Tibikawa said: “I can’t sleep and I’m having terrible nightmares about what will happen to me if I’m sent back to Uganda.

“My family have disowned me because I’m a lesbian and I’m convinced I’d be killed if I’m sent home.”

Homosexuality is illegal in Uganda. A bill was introduced in the country’s parliament calling for stricter punishment for gays and lesbians, including the death penalty.