Immediate family members of the Member of Parliament for Madina Constituency, Francis Xavier Sosu have reportedly been granted asylum by the Government of the United States of America, reports.
The Wife of Francis Xavier Sosu and his 4 children were granted asylum status by the US government following alleged threats of harm received by the Human Rights Lawyer and his family over his opposition to sections of Ghana’s Anti-Gay Bill.
The wife and children of Xavier Sosu who is also President of the Youth for Human Rights Africa are therefore currently in the United States as Francis Sosu focuses on his legislative work in Parliament.
US Refugee Laws allow for persons or their immediate family who feel persecuted or have a well-founded fear of future persecution because of advocacy for or being lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender Rights to claim for asylum in the United States.
Francis-Xavier Sosu on 23rd July 2021 publicly opposed a proposed Private members’ Bill aimed at criminalizing the activities of Lesbians, Gays, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, LGBTQ+ in Ghana. The MP warned that there will be consequences for Ghana if the Bill as is allowed to pass.
The MP who is also Deputy Ranking Member of the Constitutional, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Committee of Parliament backtracked following public backlash.
“For the avoidance of doubt, I am not against The Promotion of Proper Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values, Bill 2021 and I am not and will never be an advocate for gay rights although I have been a leading Human Rights advocate for over 10 years and counting” he backtracked after people attacked him for his remarks against the Anti-Gay Bill.
“As President for Youth for Human Rights Africa, I have had several invitations to be a gay rights advocate but turned all of them down. This is because my personal beliefs as a Christian are against that position and the collective aspirations of the people I represent as a Member of Parliament is against this position as well.” Sosu explained.
Reports now suggest the MP has used the opportunity to whisk his wife and children out of the country under the protection of the US Government.
In the 2020 Elections, Sosu beat the incumbent member of parliament, Abu-Bakar Saddique Boniface the former Minister for Zongo and Inner City Development by getting 62,127 votes against his 46,985 votes to be declared member of parliament elect for the Madina Constituency