Kamal Ghorui
A migrant who was granted asylum in Britain after saying he was gay has admitted he left behind a wife and child in his homeland of Cameroon.When 35-year-old Marius Kamna first travelled to Britain from Cameroon on a temporary visa to attend a United Nations climate change conference in Glasgow, few would have expected him to ask for asylum. Instead of contributing to discussions on environmental issues, he applied for refugee protection, saying he was gay. He later settled in Wales and got a job of a heavy goods vehicle mechanic.Kamna’s claim of homosexuality was accepted by the British asylum panel, and he was granted refugee status. However, he did not mention that he had a wife and son in Cameroon when he applied for asylum. It later came out that he knew about them at the time but chose not to tell the authorities.Thousands of asylum seekers have based their claims on their sexual orientation, and some cases may involve people exploiting the system. In Kamna’s case, the revelation of a wife might fit this pattern. But Kamna still says that his situation is more complex.
‘Always been gay’
Speaking to the Daily Mail in Cardiff, where he works, he explained that he has “always been gay” and that his marriage in Cameroon was an attempt to escape homophobia in his home country. Cameroon is known for its harsh treatment of the LGBTQ+ community, with discrimination, stigma, and legal penalties still common.Kamna at first described himself as bisexual. He later corrected that statement: “No, that’s not true, I am gay. That is the way I’ve been since I was 15 or 16.” Kamna said he spent years hiding his true identity.Kamna said his marriage was arranged in Cameroon to win back the respect of his parents, who had disowned him when they discovered his sexuality. “I got chased out of the house by my parents and to earn back their respect a marriage was arranged,” he said. He said he asked for forgiveness and even paid an official a bribe to complete the paperwork. Although he is gay, Kamna admitted he went through with the marriage, which led to the birth of his son, Emanuel, who is now seven.Even though he has not seen his son since leaving Cameroon, Kamna said he stays in touch by phone and sends money to his child’s mother to support him. Kamna added that when he was invited to the Glasgow conference, he saw a chance to stay in Britain legally and start a new life, even if it meant leaving his family behind.Kamna said that arguments with neighbours in his shared house led to the police being called, and he has now moved to a new home in Newport. He added that his current partner is a gay man from Africa, and he is happy living in Britain. “When you come here you have to do everything right because you don’t want to go back,” he said.
