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Evgeny Shtorn did not intend to apply for asylum upon her arrival in Dublin in January 2017.
He had hoped to get a work visa that would allow him to stay in the country until the situation left behind in Russia calmed down. A prominent LGBT activist in St. Petersburg, he was put in contact with members of Irish LGBT organizations upon their arrival in Dublin, who did their best to find a way to allow the sociologist to stay in Ireland.
However, in March of this year, Shtorn realized that he should formally request international protection and enter the direct distribution system.
The departure of Shtorn from Russia was not expected.
He had lived in the country since the late 1990s and worked as a researcher at the Center for Independent Social Research, a St. Petersburg-based think tank that examined some of the most stigmatized issues in Russian society, including migration, racism, the environment, etc. bad and more importantly for Shtorn, LGBT rights.
Shtorn, from Kazakhstan, said St. Petersburg was the safest and most tolerant Russian city for minority groups. However, legislation introduced by the Russian government under Vladimir Putin in 2012 has created a new sense of insecurity for civil rights groups operating in the city.
Under the new law, any organization receiving foreign funding and engaging in "political activity" was required to provide detailed financial reports and to register as "foreign agents".
"It was clear that this law had a strong connection with Russia's very paranoid past, based on the idea that poor Russia was surrounded by enemies. It was paranoia that there are foreign agents in the country. "
As part of his work, Shtorn has collected data on the dangers faced by LGBT people living in a country where Putin actively promotes anti-gay propaganda and where "state-sponsored homophobia" has become the norm.
"People live in fear. This fear expresses itself in many ways. Some people close the door, try to find a place where no one will find them and build a parallel life. Others say, "I can not live with that fear, I would rather die." But there are many activists who decide to talk about this fear. I became an activist and wrote articles because I could not live with that fear. "
Deeply depressed
Before being forced to leave the country, Shtorn had applied for citizenship in Russia. To make this request, he stated that he had to give up his Kazakh citizenship and live as a stateless person for five years.
However, his request was rejected on a "technical point" and he was invited to a meeting with what he thought were immigration services. He was shocked to learn upon his arrival that he was actually meeting police officers from the Federal Security Service. This one would have asked him to inform him of his friends who worked in LGBT activism.
"It was a punishment to be an actor in the field of human rights. The idea was that he could not really escape, so he will work for us. But for me, it was absolutely unacceptable.
As soon as he left the office, Shtorn made contact with the Russian LGBT network and went to a friend's house. He was told that the only option was to leave the country as soon as possible.
Shtorn suddenly becomes silent at this point in the conversation and turns to the window. He tries to talk but stumbles. He takes a deep breath and tries again.
"It's like when you upgrade your computer and you see all the information you've gone missing and you can not do anything about it. Our lives consist of trying to build something, but suddenly everything is destroyed. "
Shtorn prefers not to explain how he came from Russia to Dublin to protect the safety of his fellow LGBT activists in St. Petersburg. After two months in Ireland and having examined all the options with legal professionals, Shtorn went directly into a pension. Eight months later, he feels deeply depressed.
"I'm going to be honest, I want to give up. There is worse and worse everyday. I am 35 years old and I feel that my life is no longer in abeyance. All this waiting consumes all my energy. It may not be a coincidence Waiting for Godot was written by an Irish author. I really wait for Godot and this wait corrupts. "
Being cheerful in a live performance makes waiting even more difficult.
"Homophobia has nothing to do with race or religion but toxic masculinity, which is also a kind of expression of fear, is very prevalent in these types of closed communities. These people feel they are not living a decent life and therefore express these frustrations through aggression. They are aggressive towards the weakest and most vulnerable, namely LGBT people, victims of domestic violence and children. "
Direct supply
When Shtorn first entered the direct offering, he felt that the best solution was to create a center specifically for LGBT people and other more vulnerable groups. However, after eight months in the system, he just wants the process to end.
"I think the direct delivery system must end, but as a social scientist and as a sensible person, I understand that it can not end immediately. It takes a process of change. At present, huge public funds are being spent to make people unhappy. This is a public problem. it's not just about people who benefit directly from services. This is the public's understanding. So many people do not even know that there is a direct provision, but they pay for it. "
Shtorn says that there is very little public awareness of the additional barriers faced by LGBT asylum seekers. He recently created a website called queerdiaspora.com where he hopes to share information about community groups and support organizations in Ireland that asylum seekers can contact for advice. He also hopes that more Irish organizations will get in touch to share their resources.
In the meantime, Shtorn must continue to wait for her interview for asylum. To clear his head, he often walks along the Galway Cbad where he resides. He loves the city and hopes to stay there once his application is approved.
"There is so much water here that really helps me. Sometimes I go to the cbad and spend two or three hours looking at the water. Water is full of life, as are people who benefit directly. We are like water in the cbads. "
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