Our law firm successfully won asylum for a gay man from Uzbekistan in Immigration Court.
The client faced a real and credible fear of returning to his native Uzbekistan, a country where LGBTQ+ individuals regularly face persecution, discrimination, and violence. Although he had not suffered past persecution, his fear of future persecution was well-founded and presented a compelling case, which allowed us to argue effectively on his behalf.
An asylum application can be based on either past persecution or the fear of future persecution. However, the reason for seeking asylum must be due to one of five protected grounds: race, nationality, religion, political opinion, or membership in a particular social group. In this specific case, the courts recognized that sexual orientation falls under the “particular social group” category, making asylum for a gay man from Uzbekistan not only a valid claim but a necessary one to protect him from the dangers he would face if forced to return.
One of the major challenges in this case was the absence of past persecution. The client had not experienced direct harm while living in Uzbekistan. However, he feared the increasing hostility and growing risks for LGBTQ+ individuals in his home country. If returned, he would likely face severe threats to his safety and well-being. To strengthen the case, we hired an expert to demonstrate that the client’s fears of future persecution were both reasonable and thoroughly well-documented.
Thanks to the compelling evidence, expert testimony, and our legal team’s preparation, the Immigration Court granted asylum on Valentine’s Day, making the victory especially meaningful for our client and his husband. This case underscores the importance of strong legal representation and solid evidence, even when the client’s fear is based on future harm rather than past persecution.
Our law firm takes pride in assisting LGBTQ+ individuals in seeking protection and asylum, ensuring they can live free from fear of persecution.
