The Gayther Refugee and Migrant Country service is a collection of guides with general and specific community information from one of the largest online LGBTQIA+ resources in the world. A service that highlights how countries around the globe treat members of the LGBTQIA+ community, as researching them can be challenging. With over 233 country guides, Gayther provides all the information you need to examine your situation and options.
Around the world, at any given point in time, whether now or in the past, there is or has been some form of conflict, deprivation, famine, insecurity, and hardship. People living in these affected areas or regions are often left struggling to survive, taking the hard decision to leave their homes, family, and friends in search of safety or a better life for themselves and their loved ones. Safety and security are often the driving forces behind their search for a better life. The simple reality is that no one chooses to be a refugee or voluntarily decides to leave their home and all that they have known; more often, they do so due to circumstances and events beyond their control.
Though many will usually become displaced within their own country or by settling in neighbouring countries, when the conflict is severe or long-lasting, many will travel to safer countries to seek asylum. The term refugee describes a person or group of individuals forced to leave their home due to war, violence or persecution. In contrast, migrants are individuals seeking to leave their home country to pursue a better life and greater opportunities elsewhere. Rules and regulations concerning immigration and asylum are often complex, so getting the right advice and support can be vital.
Throughout human evolution, people have migrated in search of better opportunities, food security, abundance, availability, and, most importantly, safety. The term and concept of refugee were coined and defined in the 17th century in France, when the Huguenots, who were fleeing religious persecution, left France and sought safety in neighbouring countries such as England, the Netherlands and Switzerland. With the formation of the United Nations in 1945, at the end of World War II, the new group began examining fundamental human rights and evaluating and defining protocols regarding what constitutes a refugee and the circumstances of their treatment.
For the LGBTQIA+ community, many live in countries where exposing their sexuality or gender identify could have serious consequences, with over a quarter of the world still criminalising same-sex relationships and at least 10 countries imposing the maximum penalty of death. The situation is serious.
Though the refugee convention, protocol and asylum are all invaluable and typically well-meaning, many grey areas exist, such as the rights and protections of LGBTQIA+ individuals seeking asylum. Coupled with a non-standard assessment process and a lack of consensus by countries in accepting LGBTQIA+ asylum seekers. For community members, the whole process can be challenging, and the outcome is not always positive.
The Gather Refugee and Migrant country guides were designed to help those affected by circumstances, especially those being actively persecuted due to their sexuality or gender identity. The guides help people understand their rights and the state of countries globally, how those countries treat their communities, and their track record regarding refugees and migrants.
Explore the LGBTQIA+ focused Refugee and migrant country guides today.
