Source: UK Gay News
LONDON -- A young gay Iranian, who fled the United Kingdom in fear after his asylum application with the Home Office’s Border and Immigration Agency failed earlier this year, will be spending the festive season hoping that a Dutch court will allow him to stay in the Netherlands.

UK Gay News highlighted the plight of 19 years-old Mehdi in April following the failure of his appeal against deportation from UK back to Iran.

Mehdi had arrived in the UK two years previously on a student visa and had completed his education in England.

Before leaving Iran, the teen had not only come to terms with the fact he was gay, but also had a serious boyfriend.

So scared of being forcibly removed to Iran, Mehdi managed to flee the UK and surfaced in the Netherlands before crossing the border into Germany.

The authorities eventually caught up with him and he returned again to the Netherlands.

Mehdi had his “day in court” after the Dutch authorities wanted to return him to the UK – there was no suggestion of him being returned to Iran as the Government in the Netherlands has a moratorium on returning gays to Iran.

During the court hearing, Mehdi’s lawyer said that the Netherlands had an obligation – and the legal responsibility – to let the teenager stay in the country, due to the UK’s “historical attitude” towards Iranian gay men and women seeking asylum.

Full article: Gay Iranian Teen Awaits Decision of Dutch Court Over Return to UK