Around the world, approximately 6.6 million people live in refugee camps – more than ever before in history. They are never good places to be, with high rates of crime and disease. Many have poor sanitation and struggle to provide adequate food aid, if only because they are supporting far more people than they were built for.
It’s hard to find employment when living in a camp, which exacerbates poverty and leads to social problems. On top of this, once there, it’s very hard to find a way back to any kind of normal life, with some people stuck there for decades and an ever-increasing number of children born there. They do, however, provide somewhere to go; off the streets, away from resentful local populations and the immediate threat of deportation. But for LGBTQ+ asylum seekers, even this last resort is often too dangerous to contemplate.
While we might like to imagine that vulnerable people will always help each other, social hierarchies persist even in camps. LGBTQ+ people are among those groups frequently pushed to the bottom of these hierarchies. Recognising this, assorted charities and other non-governmental organisations (NGOs) have stepped in to try to keep them safer. But, the recent loss of USAID funding, cancelled by the Trump regime and reinstated in only a small percentage of cases, has led many to collapse.
A struggle for resources in Kenya’s Kakuma refugee camp
Bob, a Ugandan asylum seeker living in Kenya, explained that he has lost his accommodation as a result of the change. He can’t return to Uganda, where he could face a lengthy prison sentence just for being gay, so he has been forced to sleep on the streets. A refugee camp would be the absolute last resort for him. In the Kakuma refugee camp, where displaced people in that part of Kenya are sent, there is already a severe shortage of food and water.
“Queer refugees like me are being targeted by other communities because we are most vulnerable”, he said. “Other refugees have a belief that we queer refugees have a lot of support, that we have money and resources, so they raid our shelters looking for food and water, yet we also don’t have those.”
Trans woman facing violence in Gorom camp, South Sudan
Similar issues are faced by those in South Sudan, where Malaika, a trans woman who looks after three younger trans women, said that she and her family live in constant fear. They too have fled Uganda. A few years ago, South Sudan was a beacon of hope to LGBTQ+ refugees, but it became a popular destination as a result, leading local people to object. The government consequently revised its policy, making the asylum process harder to access and leaving many in limbo.
“LGBTQ+ refugees, including women, often face heightened vulnerabilities in refugee camps. Many report feeling unsafe, unwelcome, or even threatened by other refugees or camp staff due to their sexual orientation or gender identity. In some camps, LGBTQ+ individuals can experience physical violence, harassment, and discrimination, particularly if they are visibly or openly LGBTQ+”, said a support worker who is assisting Malaika.
“For women specifically, the situation can be even more complicated. LGBTQ+ women may face the intersection of both homophobia and misogyny, which can lead to a greater sense of isolation or exposure to violence. They might be forced to hide their identities to protect themselves, further complicating their sense of safety and well-being.”
Malaika herself was recently hospitalised after being assaulted. She and her family have been burned, stabbed, poisoned, and tortured, and two of their friends have been killed. Between them they have malaria, HIV, hepatitis, and typhus to deal with, as well as wounds that need ongoing treatment, but they are receiving no food or medical supplies.
“In certain cases, efforts are being made by organisations to create safer spaces, but it varies significantly by camp and region”, Malaika’s support worker explained. “There is still much work to be done to ensure that LGBTQ+ refugees, including women, receive the protection and support they need.”
LGBTQ+ asylum seekers at risk in detention
The problem extends to the western world, where a lack of organisational expertise can compound problems for LGBTQ+ people. Homophobia, transphobia and intersexphobia are rife in detention centres across Europe and in the UK, often leading to violence. Some people deal with this by trying to pass as straight, endosex and cisgender. But this behaviour can then be used to accuse them of lying and deny their claims for asylum if those hinge on the persecution they face in their home countries.
Joel Mordi, a refugee from Nigeria who now works with the campaign group Rainbow Migration, raised these issues with the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Immigration Detention on 20 March. He stated “When I was detained at Harmondsworth Immigration Removal Centre, I saw first-hand the brutal reality of what it means to be LGBTQ+ in detention. I endured verbal abuse, the kind that grinds you down day after day, reminding me that, in the eyes of those in power, I do not belong. I witnessed sexual abuse, where vulnerability is exploited in a place that offers no protection. And I suffered at the hands of a system riddled with staff failings: where officers turned a blind eye, ignore cries for help, or worse, participated in the cruelty as an enabler”.
He went on to tell the UK government “If you believe in human rights, end the detention of LGBTQ+ people. If you claim to stand for dignity, stop placing refugees in harm’s way”.
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