LGBTQ Refugees in East Africa

Dramatic policy shifts and local floods make life uncertain for the refugees in East Africa. As reported Nakafeero is now in a camp in South Sudan, where she is exploring the possibility of getting resettlement for as many of her people as possible.  (We are not naming the camp in South Sudan for security purposes. The local police use web search to identify LGBTQ refugees.) At the same time we keep track of what is happening to those who remain in Kakuma in Kenya. Resettlement Let us look at the resettlement first. Before Trump took over in Washington, quite a few LGBTQ refugees had been allowed entry into the US from the South Sudan camp, assisted by American NGOs and the American government. This is why some of Nakafeero's group went to South Sudan. This policy was immediately cancelled when the new administration took over. We doubt very much that it will be restarted, given the current regime's anti-LGBTQ rhetoric and policies.  Because of this the refugees are loo...

The US State Department has cancelled travel for refugees already approved to fly to the United States. Trump has suspended the resettlement program that has provided a safe haven for many LGBTQ people fleeing persecution. Our friends in the camp in South Sudan have hoped to be allowed entry into the US. Indeed, some of them are already there. But for the remaining the future looks bleak. The New York Times writes: "The State Department abruptly canceled travel for thousands of refugees already approved to fly to the United States, days before a deadline that President Trump had set for suspending the resettlement program that provides safe haven for people fleeing persecution. The cancellation of the flights comes on the heels of an executive order signed by Mr. Trump on Monday that indefinitely paused the refugee resettlement. The order effectively grinds to a halt the process of bringing refugees into the country, which involves multiple federal agencies, as well as nonprofits...

The queer community in Kenya has launched a petition condemning the government's discrimination against LGBTQ asylum seekers. This action comes in response to comments made by Refugee Affairs Commissioner John Burugu, who stated that Kenya would not consider persecution based on sexual orientation or gender identity as sufficient grounds for asylum. The petition accuses Kenya's Department of Refugee Services of putting queer asylum seekers at greater risk of persecution, violence, and exploitation. The Kenya 2021 Refugees Act does not explicitly recognize queer people among vulnerable individuals fleeing persecution. The law only recognizes refugees or asylum seekers as people who are persecuted based on race, religion, nationality, political opinion, or membership of a social group.  LGBTQ asylum seekers face prolonged waiting periods, sometimes up to a decade, for decisions on their applications. The petition has garnered over 200 signatures and will be presented to various ...

Nakafeero and friend. Queer LGBTQ activists like Nakafeero and Elvis are taking their groups of Ugandan refugees to a camp in South Sudan (name withheld for security purposes), where there are real chances of being repatriated to a much more safer country. As reported many of the LGBTQ refugees in the Kakuma camp in Kenya are feeling increasingly unsafe. They have gotten messages from a public official noting that the Kenyan government is not recognizing the LGBTQ status of any refugee in their camp and that being queer or trans is not seen as a valid reason for getting protection as refugees. Here's an email Edward, a member of the Kakuma LGBTQ-community, got from a Kenyan commissioner:  The refugee camp in South Sudan is not necessarily a safer place for the Ugandan refugees, but both the Canadian and US governments have officials in place who are organizing repatriation for refugees, including those LGBTQ. Elvis, a friend and ally of Nakafeero, has already taken their group o...

Rainbow over South Sudan, photo taken by Nakafeero . Ugandan LGBTQ-refugees in Kenya are facing a dilemma: Should they stay in the Kakuma camp, with no hope for resettlement or should they go to a camp in South Sudan (name withheld for security purposes), which seems to give them hope of resettlement in more LGBTQ-friendly countries. By Per Koch, Oslo, Norway Nakafeero and her around 90 LGBTQ refugees have spent years in the Kakuma refugee camp in Kenya.  They tell horrifying stories about how they was treated in Uganda. Nakafeero herself lost her sister and mother to the local homophobic mob. You might say that they chose to go to Kenya of their own free will, and that they are also free to leave. Which is all true - on paper. You may leave a refugee camp. But where do you go?  As long as you are a refugee you do not have the rights of regular citizens, as in to settle down, get a job, find a new home or do any of the things free citizens take for granted. Hate crimes in the ...

Nakafeero Swabulah, local LGBTQI-leader in Kakuma Two weeks ago we presented the January UNHCR  LGBTQI-report on the Kakuma refugee camp in Kenya . Today we present the views of one of the LGBTQI-leaders and activists in the camp: Nakafeero. By Per M. Koch It is great that the UN Refugee Agency UNHCR publishes reports on the lives of LGBTQI refugees in Kakuma. This makes the challenges these refugees face more visible, both inside the UNHCR and in their collaboration with others. This also makes it clear that this is an issue relevant to the human rights principles outlined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The UN on LGBTQI rights “So long as people face criminalization, bias and violence based on their sexual orientation, gender identity and sex characteristics, we must redouble our efforts to end this violations,” Antonio Guterres, UN Secretary General, said on 25 September 2018.