Refugee Stories - Mahya

Mahya is a lesbian who fled the threat of honour-killing at the hands of her family in Iran. She discusses her plight with Happy, a fellow lesbian asylum seeker from Uganda who has helped Mahya and has also found safety and acceptance in Manchester.

When I met Mahya it was initially for a a BBC Outreach project looking for volunteers to record Refugee Stories. But like former Afghan Judge Marzia Babakarkhail, I hoped a bigger audience could hear what she had to say. Her first application to stay in the UK had been rejected and she was appealing the decision. When I asked her if she felt brave, she looked surprised and said:

‘I am fighting for my life.’

Broadcast: BBC Woman’s Hour, BBC Manchester