INDEPENDENT: Same-sex relationships are punishable in Cameroon by up to five years in prison
Farah, a 21-year-old gay Moroccan woman, is now in hiding in her home country after being deported by the Trump administration.
She had sought asylum in the U.S., fleeing brutal family violence in Morocco, where being gay is illegal and punishable by three years in prison.
Her ordeal began when her family and her partner's family discovered their relationship, leading to severe beatings. Kicked out, she fled with her partner, but her family tracked her down and attempted to kill her, she claimed.
Desperate, Farah and her partner secured visas for Brazil, then trekked through six countries to the U.S. border, requesting asylum. Despite U.S. immigration judge protection orders, she faced a third-country deportation by the Trump administration – to Cameroon, where homosexuality is also illegal.
Now back in Morocco, Farah lives in constant fear. “It is hard to live and work with the fear of being tracked once again by my family,” she said. “But there is nothing I can do. I have to work.” » | Monika Pronczuk | Sunday, February 22, 2026
