This paper problematis the amg and implementatn of protectn of lbian, gay, bisexual, transgenr, and tersex (LGBTI) refuge Kenya by the Uned Natns Refugee Agency (UNHCR). Dpe creased ternatnal attentn beg paid to them, the extant lerature foc on asylum-see …
Contents:
GAY REFUGE KENYA REPORT REPEATED ATTACKS OM LOLS
NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — When he was attacked by a mob for beg gay, Mart Okello said the kicks and blows om his assailants me so fast that he uldn't stop them or flee. * lgbt refugees in kenya *
This surge followed state-ndoned vlence agast gays and lbians Uganda durg the 2014 bate of an ‘anti-homosexualy bill’ which ially clud the ath penalty for ‘practicg homosexuals’.
Uganda is one of 32 untri Ai that crimalis homosexualy. In eastern Ai, Somalia – where large numbers of refuge Kenya origate – punish homosexual acts by ath. Lbian, gay, bisexual, transgenr and tersex (LGBTI) rights are still a pot of tense polil negotiatn.
In 2019, the Kenyan High Court voted to uphold a lonial era law banng nsensual homosexual activy, spe a long history of queer activism and prott the untry. LGBTI refuge fd themselv nontg a siarly hostile and homophobic environment to that which they had fled – on top of margalisatn related to their refugee stat. LGBTI refuge are tryg sperately to survive not only the face of vlent homophobia, but broar poverty and margalisatn.
* lgbt refugees in kenya *
“If you e to Kenya as a refugee and you’re om Uganda, people tomatilly know ’s bee you are gay, ” one refugee poted out. 14, Hayn / SOPA Imag/LightRocket via Getty Imag fileBut acrdg to Mos and experts on refuge and migratn, the lbian, gay, bisexual, transgenr and queer refuge Kakuma — many of whom fled homophobic and transphobic vlence nearby Uganda — ntue to face threats and vlence om lols and other refuge for the simple reason that they are LGBTQ. “They were kicked out by the UNHCR and forced to the homophobic muny wh other refuge, " and then lol rints om the area, the Turkana, "attacked them some time ago, ” Mos wrote the email sent to human rights officials and journalists.
The Turkana lols allegedly blamed the gay refuge for a lol drought. “You have got a handful of UNHCR officials, so bad thgs n happen, and bad thgs do happen refugee mps — not only to LGBT people, but women and other people as well, so ’s unfortunately not surprisg, ” Knotts June 2018, Mos and Refugee Flag Kakuma, an LGBTQ rights group he leads at the mp, hosted s first gay pri event. And yet, acrdg to Mos, new lbian, gay, bisexual, transgenr and queer refuge ntue to arrive for registratn at UNHCR offic Kakuma and a WhatsApp msage sent to NBC News on Friday, Mos said he and other members of Refugee Flag Kakuma qutn “the logic of returng and hog LGBT refuge a place where others had been whdrawn bee of secury.
The UNHCR strongly nied the allegatns that refuge also routely acce the mp’s admistrators of turng a bld eye — due to homophobia and transphobia — to their plight and to the ntued vlence they an terview wh NBC News after the attack on the mp’s June 2018 pri event, Yvonne Nge, a UNHCR Kenya spokperson, said, “The muny n sometim feel isolated. ”“It is important to note that a number of LGBTI+ refuge and asylum seekers are ridg among the muny Kakuma as well as urban areas and have been able to live relative safety, some for several years, ” Hugh wrote, addg that UNHCR uld not verify all reported anti-gay attacks, and that the agency has no ntrol over whether third untri agree to rettle refuge and asylum the procs of gettg a refugee applitn approved by UNHCR n take years Kenya and other untri, cludg the Uned Stat, the average stay for a rint of Kakuma mp is 17 years, acrdg to the than 25 ln people worldwi are currently refuge, acrdg to Amnty Internatnal, and a third are livg the world’s lowt-e untri.