Cherif* arrived in France in early June with one overriding thought: he could no longer stay in Senegal. “I was going to be arrested,” he admits now. For weeks after a man he knew was detained, fear ruled his life. “As soon as I heard the news in the press, my only thought was escape.”

The arrest of a man linked to Ousmane Sonko—former Prime Minister and now National Assembly president—sparked a legislative push to double prison sentences for same-sex relations from five to ten years. The law was adopted on March 11. Local media reported multiple arrests of alleged partners. “I knew my friend’s phone would be searched,” Cherif explains. “I deleted every message, photo, and trace of my hidden life.”

In Senegal, he says, the atmosphere has become unbearable. “Everywhere—in homes, streets, TV, and social media—people only talk about gay individuals, spreading hate without restraint.” The rhetoric, he adds, “accuses them of corrupting youth and destroying society.”

Cherif is not alone. Since the law’s passage, calls for help have multiplied, with many seeking refuge in France. “We live hidden or in danger,” he says. “No one can speak openly anymore.”