'Fake gay': Iraqi man denied asylum in Austria because he was 'too girlish'

Comes after authorities tell 18-year-old Afghan citizen 'neither your walk nor behaviour nor clothing indicate in any way you might be homosexual'

There has been a sharp fall in the number of refugees and migrants travelling to Austria this year, from a peak in 2015 (Reuters)

An Iraqi man has had his asylum application rejected after authorities in Austria said they did not believe he was gay because he was “too girlish”.

The unnamed 27-year-old was reportedly told by officials his behaviour was “not authentic”.

Austrian media quoted officials in the country’s Styria region as saying the asylum seeker was acting “like a girl” and his sexuality was therefore “not believable”.

The decision is the second case of Austrian authorities turning down an asylum case on the grounds they did not believe the applicant was gay.

Earlier in August, an 18-year-old Afghan asylum seeker had his application denied after being told: ”Neither your walk nor behaviour nor clothing indicate in any way you might be homosexual.

“They reported that you frequently got into fights with roommates. You clearly have the potential to be aggressive, which would not be expected in a homosexual.”

The country’s asylum authority later said it had disciplined the employee in charge of the Afghan man’s decision, and regretted “linguistic lapses” on his part.

Amnesty International said the Afghan's man's experience was a "structural problem" and not an "isolated case".

Annemarie Schlack, Amnesty's Austria director, said the "inhumane language" in the asylum process "does not meet the requirements of a fair, constitutional procedure".

Austria’s government has pursued a hardline immigration policy since Sebastian Kurz became chancellor late last year.

Mr Kurz, who governs in coalition with the far right, has called for the formation of an anti migration “axis of the willing” with Germany and Italy, to push for more restrictive border policies across the EU.

Austria’s government has pursued a hardline immigration policy since Sebastian Kurz became chancellor (Reuters)

In January, the EU’s top court said asylum seekers should not be subjected to “homosexuality tests” when applying for asylum in member states.

The European Court of Justice said the tests, usually based on a psychologist’s report, were “not essential” to determining whether a person was telling the truth about their sexuality, and their reliability was “at best, only limited”.

But LGBT+ asylum seekers continue to face difficulties, campaigners say.

An Iraqi man in the Netherlands twice had his application turned down because immigration officials did not believe he spoke about his sexuality in the “right” way.

In the UK, LGBT+ asylum seekers regularly face deportation after failing to prove their sexuality to the Home Office.

Campaign group Stonewall suggests statements from friends, relatives or other members of the LGBT community can prove useful when making an application to UK immigration officials.