Interview

A Turkish LGBT Asylum Seeker’s Harsh Reality in Germany 

RainbowPassport Interviewer: Can you tell us about your experience seeking asylum in Germany?

Turkish LGBT Asylum Seeker: I applied for asylum in Hamburg in 2022. In Berne, the camp was extremely primitive and overcrowded—they put nine people in one room. It was a disgrace. I got sick and even caught scabies because of the filth. On top of that, they applied the Dublin procedure to me shamelessly and immorally. One whole year was wasted.

RainbowPassport Interviewer: That sounds terrible. How did you feel about Germany’s system?

Turkish LGBT Asylum Seeker: I became disgusted. There are no real human rights in Germany; it’s all just for show. BAMF violates human rights—it’s a cruel and heartless institution. No other European country treats asylum seekers like this.

RainbowPassport Interviewer: How does it compare to other countries?

Turkish LGBT Asylum Seeker: France, Spain, Belgium, even the UK, do not deport people. In Spain, deportation is forbidden because it’s considered a human rights violation. I couldn’t stay in Germany anymore because the authorities only think about deporting people—they are never acting in good faith.

RainbowPassport Interviewer: What about your experience in the UK?

Turkish LGBT Asylum Seeker: I was hosted in a hotel in a clean environment—they don’t cram people into camps like animals. They even gave me a furnished apartment in Scotland, even though my residence permit hasn’t arrived yet. There are real human rights in the UK, but not in Germany.