Page 109 - IJPS-10-2

International Journal of

Population Studies

REVIEW ARTICLE
LGBTQI+ asylum seekers and refugees:

Recognition and public policies for protection

Henrique Zanin* and Antonio Rodrigues de Freitas Junior
Department of Human Rights, University of Sao Paulo School of Law, Sao Paulo, Brazil

Abstract

The LGBTQI+ and refugee agendas are interconnected, and there are frequent
instances where LGBTQI+ asylum seekers and refugees experience mistreatment
and rights violations during the asylum process. Since the first LGBTQI+ refugee
requests took place in the 1990s, the topic has not yet been satisfactorily
debated. Although states have been creating norms and programs targeting
this population, some of these initiatives do not seem to reach local realities,
and persistent gaps hinder the ability of LGBTQI+ asylum seekers and refugees
to fully enjoy their rights, especially when specific subgroups are isolated and
analyzed. Shedding light on the migratory policies established in Europe and
acknowledging that some specific migrant populations have received modest
academic attention; thus far, this work seeks to investigate the main issues
discussed thus far by the literature on the specific hardship, violence, and
intersectional discrimination suffered by LGBTQI+ asylum seekers and refugees
during the asylum application and procedure. It also aims to disseminate the role
*Corresponding author: public policies play in protecting and encouraging social inclusion and rights, not
Henrique Zanin only for this portion of the population as a unified group but also for this acronym
(henriquezanin@outlook.com) that encompasses a relatively diverse population in need of innovative policies
Citation: Zanin, H. & de Freitas for comprehensive inclusion.
Junior, A.R. (2024). LGBTQI+
asylum seekers and refugees:
Recognition and public policies for Keywords: LGBTQI+ asylum; Asylum seekers; Refugees; Public policies; Systematic
protection. International Journal of literature review
Population Studies, 10(2):103-114.
https://doi.org/10.36922/ijps.0871
Received: April 27, 2023
Accepted: October 10, 2023 1. Introduction
Published Online: November 8, The 21 century has started with a significant increase in the number of forcibly
st
2023
displaced persons. Calculating the exact size of this migrant population is challenging.
Copyright: © 2023 Author(s). However, in the past 10 years alone, at least 100 million people have fled home, either
This is an Open Access article
distributed under the terms of the seeking refuge outside their home countries or staying within their states’ borders.
Creative Commons Attribution These numbers have shown no sign of decreasing since 2011; in fact, they had more
License, permitting distribution, than doubled from 2011 to 2019 (from 38.5 to 79.5 million people). This increase
and reproduction in any medium,
provided the original work is can be mainly attributed to conflicts and humanitarian crises in Syria, South Sudan,
properly cited. Ukraine, Myanmar, Venezuela, Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Africa’s Sahel region,
Publisher’s Note: AccScience Central African Republic, Ethiopia, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Yemen, and
Publishing remains neutral with Ukraine (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, 2020). These statistics are
regard to jurisdictional claims in
published maps and institutional far from insignificant in numerical terms, and they hold significant meaning for a
affiliations. region recognized for its role in protecting individuals and preserving lives.

Volume 10 Issue 2 (2024) 103 https://doi.org/10.36922/ijps.0871