Abraham Abraham
UNHCR Representative in Canada
280 Albert Street, Suite 401
Ottawa, Ontario K1P 5G8
February 20, 2009
Dear Mr Abraham,
Re: Asylum in Turkey
My office has been contacted by groups advocating on behalf of homosexual Iranian refugees. They report that homosexual Iranians who have been granted asylum in Turkey are subjected to persecution (random beatings, harassment, etc) in the country of asylum, and that homosexual Iranians are in a uniquely precarious position vis the rest of the refugee population in Turkey. For this reason they seek faster processing of their applications out of Ankara.
I wanted to bring this serious matter to your attention. Any information you may be able to provide to us with respect to this issue would be very much appreciated.
We have also made enquiries with our embassy in Ankara with respect to this issue.
Thank you for your attention to this matter.
Sincerely,
The Honourable Jason Kenney, PC, MP
Minister of Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism
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