Living as LGBTQ Refugees in South Sudan

How is it to live as a LGBTQ refugee from Uganda in a camp in South Sudan?  Nakafeero tells the story.

By Nakafeero Swabulah, Ugandan LGBTQ refugee in South Sudan

I am a proud lesbian and a queer leader advocating for LGBTQ  refugees in east Africa. 

We are group of around 550 LGBTQ members who fled from Kakuma refugee camp in north western Kenya due to homophobia and hostility between different communities that were all against us .I am the leader of around 100 of these refugees, half of whom are kids.

One of the children

We believe we have better hope of getting asylum in a LGBTQ-friendly country here in the South Sudan camp. But it is not as if we are safe here. South Sudan is in many ways a war zone on the border of another war torn country, Sudan.  

Nor is South Sudan known for being LGBTQ friendly. The Wikipedia puts it this way: "LGBTQ persons are met with abuse and discrimination from agents of the government and additionally face stigmatisation among the broader population". We have to live in  a small camp surrounded by main barracks and soldiers are always nagging around with their weapons around the camp's trading center.

Refugees arriving

We have spent many sleepless nights without anything to eat or to drink .

Since we don't have enough shelters to sleep in most of our fellows sleep outside provided shelters. This caused some of lesbians to be raped. Many of them have gotten HIV, and many have become pregnant. 

If anyone wonder why a group of LGBTQ refugees have so many children, this is the main reason, I'm afraid. As far as medical support is concerned, we have to pay for most of it out of our own pockets.

And the young kids need milk, enough care and proper hygiene which is not easy at all under these conditions.

We do not, for instance, have enough toilets and bathrooms, in the camp. 

Since most of us sleep outside we are also being attacked by some dangerous wild life, such as snakes and scorpions which are very dangerous to us. To give one example: Yesterday we found a large snake in our shelter. One of our kids was going to sleep and stepped on it.

Snake found in sleeping quarters

The women among us  use polythene bags throughout our periods which cause infections and itching.

Imagine you can't exercise your rights not even get yourself a job and hang on for a moment? 

We call upon for your support and intervention on advocating for equality of LGBTQ living in fear and distress . We really need attention and assistance mostly on purchasing food and isolate ourselves in our shelter because we can't mingle with other communities who always attack us and leave us miserable, traumatized and tormented.

 And anyone who knows anything about how we can be evacuated to a third country please let us know.

I hope that our humble request will be considered in love and solidarity!

You can donate to our crowdfunder here.

You can follow me over at Mastodon and Bluesky.

U.S. Deportation Policies Put LGBTQ+ Asylum Seekers in Mortal Danger

Advocate reports that the Trump administration is planning to send LGBTQ refugees to countries that might kill them.

The reason Nakafeero and her group of Ugandan LGBTQ refugees moved from the camp in Kenya to a camp in South Sudan was that the South Sudan camp was rumored to give some refugees access to asylum in the US and other countries. They were not wrong about this. Some refugees did get access to the US, and right now some are interviewed by Canadian representatives.

Advocate explains  how new U.S. immigration policies under the Trump administration are putting LGBTQ+ asylum seekers in extreme danger by enabling their deportation to countries where they could be imprisoned, tortured, or killed. 

Attorneys and advocates say the government is using third‑country transfer agreements and aggressive courtroom tactics to avoid fully hearing asylum claims, even when applicants have strong evidence of persecution. 

It is unclear to me if this also applies to Ugandan refugees in the US, or only refugees from other countries who are to be shipped of to Uganda to have their case handled there.

A major concern is a 2025 agreement allowing the U.S. to send asylum seekers to Uganda, a country whose 2023 Anti‑Homosexuality Act includes life imprisonment and the death penalty for LGBTQ+ people. Lawyers report cases in which queer and transgender migrants from other countries - such as Morocco -are being threatened with transfer to Uganda instead of having their claims adjudicated in the U.S. 

"Uganda is not a safe place for LGBTQ people," Bekah Wolf, an attorney with the American Immigration Council who represents LGBTQ+ asylum seekers from multiple countries says.. "The idea that we would send people there to try to adjudicate their protection claims is deeply concerning."

"While the agreement states that transferred individuals will not be returned to their home countries until protection claims are resolved and references international refugee and anti-torture obligations, Wolf said those assurances are largely abstract. The text contains no enforceable standards for evaluating claims, no requirement that Uganda recognize sexual orientation or gender identity as grounds for protection, and no mechanism for independent oversight once a person is transferred."

Let me add that the threat goes beyond public policies in Uganda. Nakafeero fled because her mother and sister were killed by local citizens who were looking for Nakafeero, who had committed the "crime" of being a lesbian. The homophobia and transphobia runs deep.

Per Koch

Canada is interviewing refugees in South Sudan

Nakafeero tells me that Canada is accepting quite a few refugees from their camp in South Sudan and that her and her group of LGBTQ refugees may be interviewed soon. 

Whether this will actually give them asylum in Canada remains to be seen, but the very hope of that happening gives them strength.

Nakafeero tells me:

"We are so happy that at least we can see a change here in this camp, compared to what it was in the Kenya Kakuma refugee's camp, when no LGBTQI refugees were accepted while we were in that camp."

The UN refugee agency, UNHCR, has classified the situation in and around South Sudan as an emergency level 1, indicating that UNHCR is urgently stepping up preparedness efforts. This has not been easy, given the severe cuts made by the US government.

Life in the South Sudan camp itself is not getting better, however. Nakafeero tells me that several of her fellows have been sick this last month. We have no confirmation of this, but there are rumors of  people poisoning their food. There are homophobes and transphobes in the camp who do not want to have the LGBTQ refugees there. For the time being Nakafeero and her group stick to packaged food, which is more expensive.

I have added a video message from Nakafeero. Transcript below.

"Hello, I am a queer leader advocating for LGBTQI+ kids in East Africa. I am here kindly requesting for help and support. We are starving with nothing to eat at all. Kids are lacking milk. We are lacking sanitary products as we use polytene bags through our periods, which affect us with aging and some infections. Here we have no medication at all. We really need help and support so that we can pass through this situation. Any coin makes a difference. Love and solidarity."

Per Koch

You can donate to Nakafeero's LGBTQ refugees and their children here

You can follow Nakafeero over at Mastodon and Bluesky.

More on the LGBTQ refugees in South Sudan

It is time for an update on what is happening to Nakafeero and her extended LGBTQ-family in the refugee camp in South Sudan.

By Per Koch, Oslo, Norway

Nakafeero is a young lesbian activist from Uganda leading a group of LGBTQ refugees in a camp in South Sudan.

First of all: One young female member of the group passed away in October. This has been hard for the whole group. Nakafeero is now looking after her one year old daughter. I have been speaking to them both on WhatsApp, and I am glad to see that little A  is happily exploring the world around her.  She is a wonderful kid!

(With exception of Nakafeero, I will not use full names here. Attackers have been known to use names to track down gay and trans people.)

A does not know how serious the situation is yet, and that is good, as she deserves some time when she can feel safe and loved by everyone.

Medical problems

She did recently get malaria, however. If treated immediately, you will get well again, but if you do not get access to medicine you might die. The symptoms are a bit like the flu, with fever, nausea, headaches and diarrhea. You really do not want the disease to reach its cramps, fainting and coma phase.  Thanks to your help the members of Nakafeero’s group have never reached that stage in the South Sudan camp, as they have had the funds needed to pay for the treatment.

Being treated for malaria.

Yes, there are doctors in the camp, as well as a small hospital, but the treatment is not free. For a decent malaria treatment, we may look at a bill close to 200 US$. A regular visit to the clinic is often around US$ 100. Any surgery will cost you some US$ 300, and yes – that has been needed in 2025 as well.

All the refugees in the camp have had malaria at one time or the other. It is a disease that returns again and again. So, we need to fill up the small buffer we have to meet emergencies like these.

Schooling

Nakafeero and her crew are also working on providing the kids with some education. They have bought some books and writing appliances for this purpose. This is not much, but better than nothing. We are now trying to find some money for a whiteboard. There are quite a few kids under 15 years old in Nakafeero’s group of LGBTQ refugees.

Electricity

Fixing the electricity

In October their solar panel system broke down. It turned out the battery and the lights were too old. You really need lights at night, both for security purposes and to get things done. Moreover, they need the system to charge their phones. Without their own charging, they will have to pay others. 

In this case we did not have all the funding needed, but I chimed in to get this done. They are now back to normal, at least in this respect.

Seeking asylum

As previously noted, the new American policy as regards refugees, killed off any hope of more members of Nakafeero’s group getting asylum in the USA. 

Recently there have been some signals from the Canadians regarding accepting some refugees from the camp. We will keep you posted as to how that goes. 

Again: If any of you has any information about how to help the refugees out of the camp and into a safer country, please let me know.

The group in Kenya

Some  have asked about what is happening in Kenya. Nakafeero and many of her group moved to South Sudan as there was a – at the time – a realistic chance of getting asylum in the US. However, some stayed behind in the Kenya camp. 

Nakafeero reports that they are doing well, all things considered, even if the threat of anti-LGBTQ violence is as big ever. The protective walls we set up with the help of our donors, are still protecting them. Nakafeero is in continuous contact with them, and we do from time to time provide them with some financial support.

In both camps money is needed for food and medicine. The UN and various NGOs do provide them with the basics, but that is in no way enough to give the kids enough of the kind of nutritious food they need to grow and thrive. This applies to the adults, as well, obviously. And sometimes, just sometimes, they – as all of us – need some extra to celebrate friendship, life and hope.

So I hope you can help us with some funds so that we can help the group survive in the year to come. Any amount is of help!

You can donate over at FundRazr.

Stop in American funding and increased anti-LGBTQ activism make life hard for queer Africans

An article by Lucy Middleton highlights the worsening plight of LGBTQ+ refugees in East Africa, particularly those displaced to one of South Sudan’s refugee camps. 

Many fled Uganda and Kenya due to harsh anti-LGBTQ+ laws and rising violence, only to encounter renewed hostility, abuse, and forced relocations in South Sudan. 

Refugees report being harassed by government officials and threatened by local communities, leaving them fearful and confined indoors with limited access to food and safety.

The situation has been exacerbated by global aid cuts, Middleton argues, notably U.S. funding freezes under President Donald Trump, which have strained refugee services and halted resettlement programs. Asylum seekers who once hoped for relocation to safer countries now face stalled interviews and shrinking opportunities, while Western nations tighten asylum rules. Organizations like Rainbow Railroad note a sharp rise in requests for help, underscoring the growing insecurity.

Meanwhile, anti-LGBTQ+ legislation continues to spread across Africa, with countries such as Uganda, Ghana, Burkina Faso, and Mali enacting or proposing harsh laws. Refugees describe life in camps as dire, with poor housing, no education, and constant danger. Many express despair, longing for evacuation or a safe return home, though such options remain perilous.

Read the article over at Context.

Photo from South Sudan by  REUTERS/Samir Bol

Severe danger facing LGBTQ refugees in camp in South Sudan

My Ugandan LGBTQ refugee friends in the Gørom* camp in South Sudan are facing a severe threat. The South Sudan authorities are forcing them to leave the camp and move into Juba, the capital of the country.

The UNHCR first managed to stop this from happening, but from what I hear now, they have given in to the pressure from the authorities. The UNHCR says they are going to help the LGBTQ refugees in Juba, but since the South Sudanese insist that the refugees are not to live together in one area, this may be difficult.

The refugees have not been offered transport or new places to live. In other words: They must pay for this themselves, which is going to be a huge challenge.

Needless to say, the refugees will have less protection in the city than in the camp, and given the rampant homophobia and transphobia in South Sudan, their lives may be at risk.

I have contacted UNHCR for more information. If more do the same, this may mobilize more resources in the agency to stop this from happening. 

I suggest you send a polite email to Olga Sarrado, Global Spokesperson, East and Horn of Africa, at sarrado@unhcr.org voicing your concern. Copy the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Representation in South Sudan  at ssdjuprot@unhcr.org as well as Faith Kasina at kasina@unhcr.org .

We are now trying to build up some funds that can serve as a buffer if they truly have to move to the city. Go to our fundraiser page to donate. Any amount helps.

Per Koch
Oslo, Norway

* The name of the camp ("Gørøm," but with o's) is misspelled deliberately to stop the South Sudan authorities from finding this site and identifying the LGBTQ refugees.

UPDATE OF MAY 23 WITH INFORMATION FROM UNHCR

A representative of UNHCR has provided me with the following information: 

UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, is aware of the request by the Government of South Sudan, through the Commission for Refugee Affairs (CRA), for LGBTIQ+ asylum-seekers to relocate from the G*rom refugee settlement to Juba Town. According to the CRA, the request is based on the current security situation in G*rom, where hostility from host communities and local authorities toward the presence of LGBTIQ+ individuals has increased.

While UNHCR has been working to process resettlement cases for extremely vulnerable refugees, including some LGBTIQ+ asylum-seekers and others with protection needs, recent reductions in resettlement quotas have limited departures. To date, only 49 asylum-seekers have been resettled to third countries. While efforts continue to secure additional resettlement opportunities, there is currently no immediate prospect of resettlement for most of these cases. Local integration in Juba or other parts of South Sudan is likely to be the most viable option for many. 

Should LGBTIQ+ asylum-seekers choose to move to Juba Town, UNHCR will continue to provide legal protection and advocate with humanitarian partners to ensure access to basic assistance for urban refugees.

In addition, UNHCR is advocating with authorities to avoid any forced evictions from G*rom, as such actions would significantly heighten the security and survival risks for affected individuals. Unfortunately, neither UNHCR nor its partners currently have funding to provide an immediate life-saving response should forced relocation occur.

Photo: dk_photos

An update on the situation in East Africa

Nakafeero updates me continuously on the situation in the refugee camp in South Sudan (which I will not name out of fear of attacks against LGBTQ refugees).

The good news first:

Food for Eid celebrations.

In spite of armed clashes in South Sudan itself, these have not affected the refugees directly. We see nothing like the horrifying attacks on refugee camps in Sudan, the country in the north. 

Moreover, Trump's destruction of USAID has so far not affected our friends greatly, although that might change soon. Some NGOs have already stopped helping.

UNHCR seems to have handled a recent threat against the LGBTQ refugees in the camp in a constructive way. Again I cannot give you details out of fear of identification and repercussions, but I would like to thank everyone who contributed to this outcome.

We are now trying to build up some reserves to handle sudden and unexpected events. 

We have had a few events like that lately, like an LGBTQ refugee in South Sudan who needed treatment for pneumonia. (They are now fine!) In March one of the members of Nakafeero's LGBTQ community was violently attacked  over in the Kakuma refugee camp in Kenya. We used funds provided by you to pay for the hospital bill.

We have also used some funds to arrange local Eid and Easter celebrations. It is extremely important to create positive and life affirming spaces in places like these.

Nakafeero tells me that the refugees in South Sudan as well as her people in Kakukma in Kenya are in need of:

Sanitary pads
Pampers for babies
Milk for babies
Knickers
Food stuff
Some shoes for babies and adults

Any help is greatly appreciated!

You can donate here.

Per Koch, Oslo, Norway