Update: Alvaro Orozco goes into hiding after failing to get refugee status in Canada

Back in February we told you about Alvaro Orozco, a young man from Nicaragua who was appealing a Canadian refugee court decision not to grant him asylum based on his fears of persecution as a gay man if he was sent home (Nicaragua is the only remaining country in Central America that still has laws against sodomy between consenting adults which can carry jail terms of up to four years).

The case drew international attention when the court not only denied Orozco refugee status but questioned whether he was truly gay. On Thursday Orozco lost his appeal and was ordered to leave the country when the appeal court ruled that he faced no risks if he went back to Nicaragua.

In a written statement sent to press Orozco said: "I feel very concerned about my safety in Canada because now I do not have legal status in this country. If they send me back to Nicaragua, I can face persecution by the government and the Catholic community who judge gay life as sodomy."

On Monday Orozco told CBC news that he had gone into hiding as a result of the decision: "Most of the time, I'm hiding because I'm not supposed to be anywhere. I feel like a fugitive. It's really bad."

Orozco and his legal advisers hope that Canadian Immigration Minister Diane Finley will see fit to intervene and grant him a stay on humanitarian grounds, the only way that Orozco will be able to remain legally in Canadian soil.

For updates, check Mr. Orozco's refugee campaign website here.