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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.
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