Shayan* (30) travelled to the UK to study and came out as gay while he was here, only then realising that it meant he could not return to his native Iran where the practice is banned and he could be sentenced to death.

He became very depressed and had no choice but to claim asylum. He was placed in a hotel with fifty or so other asylum seekers on the Wirral by the Home Office and that’s when he came into contact with the WMO.

We were running weekly surgeries, helping all the asylum seekers to access health and other essential services. We filled in all the required forms to register Shayan, alongside the others, with GP surgeries, making appointments where needed, and attending to all their physical and mental health needs.

Shayan’s English was really good but he still didn’t know how things worked here and his own mental health was deteriorating rapidly to the point he was feeling suicidal. He was trying to get in contact with organisations he’d found on the internet for help, but wasn’t getting anywhere with them.

We intervened, getting him the mental health support he needed, and connecting him with the kind of organisations that supported people from LGBTQ communities. As a direct result, his mental health began to improve, he became more resilient and much happier.

He began to volunteer, interpreting for others like him, dealing with their homosexuality and their feelings of isolation from their communities. He mentors asylum seekers too, advising them about their sexual health, the law and other issues. He now lives in another part of the country.

Shayan said: “If WMO hadn’t been there to help us, there would have been fifty people without any medical support. We didn’t know anyone. I was having suicidal thoughts and WMO were the human face who really wanted to help us. Even though I’ve moved away, I often turn back to WMO for advice and support as there’s nothing similar where I am. There is a need for more independent organisations like WMO.”

 *Not his real name.