Because of his sexuality, he had been the victim of violence in his home country – including at the hands of the local police. When his parents found out, he was abandoned and ended up living on the streets for a year.

Yad was just 16 when he told his adviser that he was gay. He said he didn’t want anyone to know about his sexuality because he felt ashamed. So his adviser on our Children's Advice Project ensured he received ongoing help and advice from a specialist LGBT+ support charity to help manage his feelings of guilt and shame. She also secured counselling for Yad through the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service to help him recover from the trauma of the violence he had experienced.

Our adviser worked with Yad to establish the trust needed to encourage him to tell his solicitor and social worker about his sexuality. Once he had disclosed this to them, his asylum claim was updated and submitted to the Home Office. It was accepted and Yad was granted refugee status. He is now able be himself, confident that he is in no danger of being sent back to where he could be killed just for his sexuality.