A care worker who faces deportation to Uganda fears he will be persecuted for his support of gay rights.

Henry Atwooki Lutaaya, of Bulwer Road, New Barnet, was detained on October 15, and is being held at Harmondsworth immigration removal centre, from which he may be deported to Uganda.

The 40-year-old, who has four children and a wife in Uganda, is a vocal critic of the country’s anti-gay laws, which set prison sentences of up to seven years for the promotion of homosexuality.

A care worker for disabled adults, Mr Lutaaya has run the London marathon three times to support the Chickenshed theatre, and has regularly taken part in the parkrun in Oak Hill Park, East Barnet.

He came to the UK as a student ten years ago, and his case has been pending with the Home Office since his visa expired in 2009.

His application for asylum was rejected, and he was refused permission to appeal to an upper tribunal.

Speaking from Harmondsworth, Mr Lutaaya said: “Every day is difficult. I am scared of what awaits me. My cell is tiny. They lock you in from eight in the evening till eight in the morning. It’s stressful. The first month was very bad.

“There was no need to cut me away from my friends and my family. I have never committed a crime, but they are treating me like a criminal. I find it very unfair. It’s not like I have been hiding either.

“I feel like I am British, I have been here for ten years. In Uganda, the way they speak about different people, it’s not me. I cannot fit in in that society.”

Mr Lutaaya said he will continue to speak out in support of gay rights.

He added: “Because I have always challenged people about their perceptions, I will do the same thing. If someone loves someone, it’s not hurting anyone.

“I have had a lot of support from the community here, they have been trying to give me courage to be strong."

Mr Lutaaya's friends and colleagues have launched a campaign to stop his deportation, and more than 170 people have signed a petition calling on the Home Office to grant him asylum.

Stephen Ferguson, 42, helped launch the campaign.

Mr Ferguson said: “He’s a really big figure in the community. He helps out and volunteers whenever he can. Almost everybody knows him. He considers himself to be British, and all of a sudden, the country turns its back on him. His spirits are starting to drop a bit, as he is starting to run out of options.”

More than 100 friends and colleagues of Mr Lutaaya will take part in a run this Saturday at 9am in Oak Hill Park, in Church Hill Road, Barnet, wearing purple, the colour he wore for the marathons, to show their support.

A Home Office spokesman said: “The UK has a proud history of granting asylum to those who need our protection and each claim is carefully considered on its individual merits.

“Mr Lutaaya was found not to need the protection of the UK. This decision has been upheld in the courts by an independent immigration judge.”

The petition can be signed here.