Germany Opens Shelter for LGBTQ Refugees

In response to growing concerns about the dangers faced by LGBTQ individuals in overcrowded temporary refugee accommodations, Germany opened its first dedicated shelter for LGBTQ refugees in Nuremberg on Monday. According to AFP, Mikael Glass, director of an organization called Flieders, which initiated the project, stated that the new shelter has a capacity of eight residents. He added, "No one has been transferred here yet, but the accommodation is ready to receive refugees. So far, four individuals from Iran, Syria, Ethiopia, and Syria have applied for transfer to this center, which is a small two-story building." This organization decided to establish special accommodations for LGBTQ individuals after about 20 refugees complained about the dangers of living in crowded shelters. Mikael Glass further noted, "Discrimination does not disappear by crossing borders and coming to Europe, and those who have faced pressure and repression for their homosexuality in their home countries are also targeted for harassment in refugee camps in Germany." A special shelter for LGBTQ refugees with a capacity of 120 is also set to open in Berlin in February. There is no precise and complete data regarding attacks or harassment of LGBTQ individuals in refugee accommodations and camps in Germany, which accepted over one million refugees last year. However, LGBTQ rights organizations in Berlin and Brandenburg report that from August to the end of December 2015, approximately 95 incidents, including violent physical attacks, threats, and sexual assaults against LGBTQ individuals in the refugee camps of this state were recorded.