The Silenced Path
Stories of the LGBTQI migration in the Middle East
Ahmad* was only 21 when he migrated to Germany from Lebanon because of his sexuality. Due to article 534 of the Lebanese constitution, which states that any “unnatural” sexual relationship is a crime, homosexuality is looked down upon and can actually lead to a 3 year jail sentence.
“ I was beaten, disowned, fired from work, and even got a Dean’s warning just because I was gay. Nothing worked anymore, I needed to leave.”
At 19, Ahmad was kicked out from his house after coming out to his parents.
“I can never forget the words my dad said to me that day: If I see rats eating your body I would simply look away. I won’t have any faggots in my house.
This image shows the percentage of people that don’t think society should accept homosexuality in different middle eastern countries.
“LGBTQI (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer and Intersex) migrants may experience a variety of push or pull factors that lead to the choice to depart their home countries. In some cases, the decision to emigrate is explicitly motivated by persecution suffered as a result of a migrant’s gender identity or sexual orientation”. (Tanak & Levitan, 2014)
Not only is homosexuality generally frowned upon, but most of the countries in the Middle East have laws that prosecute people of the LGBTQI community. The laws cover anything from “unnatural” sexual relationships to gender modification laws.
This map shows the countries in the Middle East and their legislation towards this community. Due to these factors, as well as other economical reasons, LGBTQI people in the Middle East are forced out of their countries simply for being themselves.
The ones that decide to leave have a long journey ahead of them.
Some are very lucky, some are not.
Elie Karam is a Lebanese immigrant that used to travel to Europe often and therefore had a Schengen visa. After experiencing death threats in his country he packed his things and fled to Amsterdam. He had really good Dutch friends who took care of him and fortunately he didn’t have to spend any time at the refugee camps. Once in the Netherlands he applied for asylum. It only took him 7 months to get a 5 year permit since he had been an important figure within the LGBTQI community in Lebanon.
It wasn’t all smooth sailing though; he experienced intrusive questions about his sexuality in the asylum process.
Unfortunately not everyone gets to travel like Elie. There are plenty of ways to get to Europe when you’re trying to survive.
Jamal* is a gay Lebanese immigrant that could no longer live in his country due to sexual preferences. He decided to travel to Europe with Syrian refugees. His journey is shown in the following map.
Even when the physical journey is over, most of the LGBTQI immigrants still have a long way to go. Their inclusion in a new country is necessary and doesn’t come without struggles.
Sarah* was a Palestinian refugee living in Lebanon and she happened to be transgender. UNRWA helped her get a humanitarian visa from the federal authorities of Switzerland. When she arrived there she started her asylum procedure. She currently has a lawyer who’s helping her with the application process.
“The Swiss government were so nice to me, they respected me a lot. When I arrived, someone from the authorities waited for me at the airport. They didn’t put me with the refugees because they knew that that would’ve been bad for me. I just wish I could get my asylum faster so I can do the things I want to do.”
The people in the camps have other stories though. A lot of them have faced discrimination within the refugees camps. This BBC news video explains the struggles of a couple of gay and trans refugees and how Secret Garden (an NGO dedicated to LGBTQI immigrants in the Netherlands) is helping them adapt faster.
According to ILGA (International Lesbian and Gay Association) “The authorities’ lack of experience and professionalism in dealing with such refugee status applications [LGBTQI] can bring additional problems”
Fortunately, Elie has integrated well in Amsterdam. He has made lots of friends and has formed strong bonds. He has an apartment to himself and works with an NGO that is involved with queer migrants and refugees. He constantly organizes social activities, debates and conferences regarding this topic.
“I´m very happy here. I feel like I can finally be who I want to be, but I really miss my boyfriend. We´re now in the process of reuniting again but until that day I won’t feel that I’m completely at home.”
These stories display the silenced and displaced. We have decided to give the LGBTQI migrant community from the Mddle East a space where their stories can be heard and understood. Sexual preference or gender identity shouldn’t be a matter of life and death for anyone.
*Real names have not been used for personal reasons.
