Promoting the inclusion and participation of LGBTQI+ migrants
Action Leader: Government of Flanders and City of Mechelen
What is the specific problem?
LGBTQI+ migrants experience specific forms of discrimination and obstacles to participate in society. A large-scale survey by the Fundamental Rights Agency (FRA) in 2019 showed that LGBTIQI+ people in the EU continue to experience discrimination in a broad range of areas of life, including access to healthcare, housing, social services and employment. Most LGBTQI+ persons also reported to have experienced harassment and violence. In addition, 40% of LGBTQI+ respondents expressed suffering discrimination also on the grounds of their ethnic origin or immigrant background, on top of their gender identity and/or sexual orientation.
The specific vulnerabilities of LGBTIQ+ persons with a migrant background have been exacerbated by COVID-19 – for instance, LGBTQI+ groups tend to have more precarious jobs, lower financial resources, and lower access to healthcare, putting them at higher risk for the socioeconomic impact of the pandemic. Confinement restrictions have also increased their vulnerability to domestic abuse and mental health issues. For LGBTQI+ migrants these challenges are compounded by the discrimination and racism they often face due to their migration background or ethnic origin, which has also been aggravated by the pandemic.
The 2021-2027 EU Action Plan on Integration and Inclusion acknowledges the multidimensional nature of discrimination and the specific challenges arising from the intersection between LGBTIQ+ and migration. The EU LGBTIQ Equality Strategy for 2020-2025 also aims to ensure synergies with the EU Action Plan on Integration and Inclusion and bring attention to the intersection between migrant status and other factors of discrimination, such as gender or sexual orientation. This action builds on this understanding of multiple discrimination and seeks to explore the particular challenges faced by LGBTQI+ migrants, in order to develop adequate interventions.
What was the goal of this action?
The action aimed to gain more insight into the obstacles migrants with LGBTQI+ gender identity/sexual orientation encounter in Europe, as well as into how cities, national governments, and the EU level deal with these obstacles and contribute to their inclusion in society. Furthermore, the action sought to formulate recommendations and best practices, as well as to facilitate networking, information exchange and cooperation among relevant actors and other existing networks.
More specifically, the action aimed to:
1) generate knowledge on the challenges and opportunities for the social inclusion of LGBTQI+ migrant and refugee communities in an urban context, and on including migrant LGBTQI+ communities in decision-making processes (taking into account the heterogeneity both between migrant communities and within the LGBTQI+ movement, as well as the intersecting forms of disadvantage LGBTQI+ migrants may be exposed to);
2) establish cooperation and exchange between existing networks;
3) identify the challenges encountered to design and implement appropriate policies;
4) compile successful and unsuccessful practices and policies;
5) formulate possible next steps and avenues for further synergies with other networks.
webinar
The action organized the Webinar ‘Policies and challenges to promote the inclusion and participation of LGBTQI+ migrants’ on 10 December 2021.
The webinar, co-organized by the region of Flanders and the city of Mechelen, presented existing policies and initiatives addressing the participation and inclusion of LGTBQI+ migrants into society and identified existing challenges in developing appropriate policies. It also included presentations of the Rainbow City Network, IOM’s Equalcities project, and the experiences of Berlin and Amsterdam, offering an opportunity for policymakers and implementers of local, regional and national governments to learn about promising approaches.
study visits
As part of this action, the action group members conducted two study visits in Berlin (June 2022) and Amsterdam (September 2022). The study visits included visits to safe houses, a trans house and a refugee centre for Ukrainians, allowing Partnership members to learn first-hand from promising approaches on the ground.
expert meeting
The action organized an onsite expert meeting on the inclusion and participation of LGBTQI+ migrants. The event was held in the city of Mechelen on 21 November 2022.
The event brought together representatives from local, regional and national authorities, as well as representatives from EU institutions and academia, to discuss challenges and formulate concrete policy recommendations.
Main takeaways
Main takeaways include:
Coordination between governmental levels is essential for policy development and implementation.
As the LGBTQI+ community is not a heterogeneous group, authorities should invest in research on the challenges and needs faced by different subgroups.
Policymakers should involve CSOs, and especially migrant-led organizations, in all levels of policymaking.
Which partners?
Action leader: Government of Flanders and City of Mechelen
Members : City of Amsterdam, Rainbow Cities network, city of Berlin, Eurocities, Council of Europe, Council of European Municipalities and Regions, IOM Equalcities Network, the European Commission