Last edited: June 10, 2004

Gay Moroccan Must Leave Norway

Asylum Seeker from Morocco Not Allowed to Stay in Norway Even Though He’s Gay

Aftenposten, June 15, 2000
Akersgate 51, Postboks 1178 Sentrum, 0107 Oslo Norway

KÃ…RE M. HANSEN

The 25-year-old man has shown in his application for asylum that homosexuality is punished in Morocco and that he should be allowed to stay in Norway for that reason. But his application was rejected by foreign service officials. Now the City of Oslo has become an interested party in the matter. In a new suit, it is maintained that the man’s sexual orientation cannot be considered pertinent because he did not risk persecution in his homeland.

The Moroccan was arrested by Oslo police in 1998, suspected of overstaying his visa. He had shown a fake Spanish passport to the police.

Already in his first hearing he said that he was homosexual. He said that he had told his very religious father, who immediately demanded that he get married to his cousin. If he did not, his father would go to the police… In Morocco, a Muslim country, homosexuality is forbidden and can be punished with imprisonment for up to three years.

The 25-year-old chose a third option. He fled, first to Spain, then to Belgium and Norway.

Final decision?

The man said in his asylum application that he has a lover in Norway. And his father’s rage has not abated after he found out that his son is living his orientation in a western country. But Norwegian authorities feel that this reasoning cannot be given weight when it applies to questions of asylum. In November of last year, the Justice Department decided to uphold the earlier decision in the matter — to deny the Moroccan asylum and deport him.

Now the City of Oslo has brought the matter to an end, after the man and his advocate, attorney Georg Panzer, filed an appeal. A new judgment says that the court does not find it likely that the man risks imprisonment if he is sent back to Morocco.

The court was skeptical about several matters in the 25-year-old’s statement. The court insisted also that it will not be a big problem for him to hide from his father in his homeland. Morocco is a relatively large country with many cities and 30 million residents.

The Oslo government concludes that the Moroccan asylum seeker has used up all his appeals. The court does not believe that there are grounds for setting aside the Justice Department decision of November 25, 1999, the judgment says. Therefore the Moroccan must leave the country.

The man had originally asked for 10,000 kroner in travel expenses from the state. Instead he must now come up with 8,000 kroner in court costs. [1.00 United States Dollar = 8.63043 Norwegian Kroner]

[Translated from the Norwegian by Aleta Fenceroy, fenceberry@aol.com]

 

 

Homofil marokkaner må forlate Norge

En asylsøker fra Marokko får ikke bli i Norge selv om han er homofil.

Aftenposten, 15 juni 2000
Akersgate 51, Postboks 1178 Sentrum, 0107 Oslo Norway

KÃ…RE M. HANSEN

Den 25 år gamle mannen har i sin asylsøknad vist til at homofili er straffbart i Marokko, og at han av den grunn bør få bli her i landet. Men søknaden er tidligere blankt avslått av utlendingsmyndighetene. Nå har Oslo byrett avgjort den prinsipielt interessante saken. I en fersk dom fastslås det at mannens seksuelle legning ikke kan vektlegges, fordi han neppe risikerer forfølgelse i hjemlandet.

Marokkaneren ble pågrepet av Oslo-politiet i 1998, mistenkt for overtredelse av utlendingsloven. Han hadde da vist et falskt spansk pass til politiet.

Allerede i det første avhøret sa han at han er homofil. Han fortalte at han hadde røpet dette for sin sterkt religiøse far, som straks krevde at han giftet seg med en kusine. I motsatt fall ville faren gå til politiet. I det muslimske landet Marokko er homofili forbudt og kan straffes med fengsel i inntil tre år.

25-åringen valgte en tredje utvei. Han stakk av, i første omgang til Spania og deretter til Belgia og Norge.

Sluttstrek?

Mannen har i sin søknad om asyl vist til at han har en kjæreste i Norge. Og farens raseri har ikke mildnet etter at han har fått vite at sønnen lever ut sin legning i et vestlig land. Men norske myndigheter mener at denne argumentasjonen ikke kan tillegges vekt når asylspørsmålet skal avgjøres. I november i fjor bestemte Justisdepartementet seg for å opprettholde tidligere vedtak i saken om å nekte marokkaneren asyl og utvise ham.

NÃ¥ har Oslo byrett satt en mulig sluttstrek for saken, etter at mannen og hans prosessfullmektig, advokat Georg Panzer, tok ut stevning. I en fersk dom heter det at retten ikke finner det sannsynlig at mannen risikerer fengsling hvis han sendes tilbake til Marokko.

Retten stiller seg tvilende til flere sider av 25-åringens forklaring. Retten fastslår også at han neppe vil ha store problemer med å holde seg skjult for faren i hjemlandet. Marokko er et forholdsvis stort land med mange byer og 30 millioner innbyggere.

Oslo byrett konkluderer med at den marokkanske asylsøkeren har tapt søksmålet fullstendig. Retten kan ikke se at det er grunnlag for å sette Justisdepartementets vedtak av 25. november 1999 til side, heter det i dommen. Dermed må marokkaneren ut av landet.

Mannen hadde i utgangspunktet krevd 10 000 kroner i oppreisning fra staten. I stedet må han nå punge ut med 8000 kroner i saksomkostninger.

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