A migrant who was granted asylum in the UK after claiming to be gay has admitted he left behind a wife and children in his native Cameroon.When Marius Kamna, 35, first traveled to the UK from Cameroon on a temporary visa to attend the United Nations climate change conference in Glasgow, few would have thought he would apply for asylum. Instead of contributing to the discussion on environmental issues, he applied for refugee protection, saying he was gay. He later settled in Wales and found work as a heavy goods vehicle mechanic.Kamna’s claims of homosexuality were 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 emerged that he knew about these events at the time but chose not to tell authorities.Thousands of asylum seekers apply based on their sexual orientation, and some cases may involve people taking advantage of the system. In Kamner’s case, the wife’s revelation might fit this pattern. But Kamner still said his situation was more complicated.
“Always gay”
Speaking to the Daily Mail from where he works in Cardiff, he explained that he had “always been gay” and that his marriage in Cameroon was a way 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.Kamner initially described himself as bisexual. He later corrected the statement: “No, that’s not true, I’m gay. I’ve been that way since I was 15 or 16.” Kamner said he had hidden his true identity for years.Kamna said his arranged marriage in Cameroon was an attempt to win back the respect of his parents, who disowned him after discovering his sexual orientation. “I was kicked out of my home by my parents and to gain their respect I arranged an arranged marriage,” he said. He said he asked for forgiveness and even bribed an official to complete the paperwork. Although Kamna is gay, he admits that he went through the marriage and gave birth to his son Emmanuel, who is now seven years old.Kamna said that although he had not seen his son since leaving Cameroon, he still kept in touch by phone and sent money to the child’s mother to support him. Kamner added that when he was invited to attend the conference in Glasgow, he saw an opportunity to stay in the UK legally and start a new life, even if it meant leaving his family behind.Kamner said he had moved to a new home in Newport after an argument with a neighbor at the house he shared resulted in the police being called. He added that his current partner, a gay man from Africa, was happily living in the UK. “When you come here, you have to do everything right because you don’t want to go back,” he said.
