LGBTQ Refugees in East Africa

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...