Swiss court rejects asylum for gay Russian couple, orders departure
Switzerland's Federal Administrative Court denied asylum to Ilia and Dima, a gay Russian pair, and set an early-October deadline for them to leave.
Ilia and Dima, a gay couple from Russia, escaped persecution in 2021 and settled in Zurich, where they were married. Ilia had been beaten and suffered a broken nose after campaigning for queer rights, prompting their flight. Their asylum application was rejected by the State Secretariat for Migration in July 2021, and an appeal to the Federal Administrative Court resulted in a second denial in late August.
The court ordered the pair to leave Switzerland by early October. Returning to Russia carries a high risk of detention, as the country classifies the international LGBT movement as an extremist organization and can imprison those linked to it. Their situation highlights the challenges LGBTQ refugees face under Swiss asylum procedures.
Why it matters
The case shows the hurdles LGBTQ refugees from Russia encounter and tests Switzerland's asylum standards.
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