1. Humanitarian Organizations and First Responders lack training on LGBTQI-specific issues

As humanitarian organizations respond to the influx of Ukrainian refugees throughout Europe, such stakeholders overlook the needs of specific migrant communities, specifically LGBTQI+ Ukrainians. There is a lack of comprehensive training for responders on the ground who regularly interact with refugees.

​

Current responses focus on welcoming the larger Ukrainian refugee community, including connecting them to housing and necessary legal support. However, these efforts fail to comprehensively consider LGBTQI+ concerns in their policy.

LGBTQI+ refugees require inclusive and specific aid from trained stakeholders.

2. Lack of Governmental Support for Grassroots Organizations on the Ground

In light of the war and lack of inclusive care for LGBTQI+ Ukrainian refugees from government response mechanisms, grassroots organizations have mobilized to become the main source of specific aid for this community. This goes beyond simple physical provisions and includes services such as mental health and career counseling.

However, to keep these operations running and expand their outreach, there is a need for increased government support. This does not necessitate direct involvement, but the provision of resources so that the services from inclusive organizations can continue to be provided. Cooperation between these two sectors will expand the availability of LGBTQI+ services to the Ukrainian refugee community and beyond, while also ensuring that the care provided is effective in meeting the needs of stakeholders.

The current setup sees grassroots organizations slowly scaling back on initial mobilization initiatives due to the challenges of continuing them in the long term. Additional support for these operations by the government, while still leaving these organizations in charge, needs to be included in the ongoing governmental response policy.

3. Inconsistent LGBTQI+ Refugee-related policy

            The influx of Ukrainian refugees into the European Union across various border points has created uneven experiences among sexually and gender diverse refugees. While some were able to find shelter in places like Poland or Slovakia, others faced discrimination in these nations. Similarly, as Germany does not border Ukraine, LGBTQI+ refugees have flooded into the country from notoriously discriminatory nations, i.e. Hungary.

            Yet, inconsistent access to LGBTQI-specific necessities leaves the broader community particularly vulnerable. Without national and regional communication on this issue, which touches on sectors ranging from housing to healthcare to legal services, LGBTQI+ refugees continue to be vulnerable. These widespread and varying vulnerabilities become hard to track, which exacerbates the difficulty in identifying challenges for this “invisible” minority.

            Not only does communication between stakeholders need to be improved, but parties also need to develop transparent and consistent benefits that are widely available. This will reduce the additional migration that some LGBTQI+ Ukrainians undergo in search of accepting spaces. Doing so will reduce logistical challenges and provide a framework for LGBTQI+ communities in the long term.

​

Keep Reading: