22/03/2012 | Writer: Kaos GL

Since January 2011, 18 visits were made to 5 satellite cities (Kayseri, Isparta, Nevşehir, Eskişehir Niğde) LGBT asylum seekers and refugees are generally sent to.

What Did Kaos GL Do for LGBT Asylum Seekers and Refugees in 2011? Kaos GL - News Portal for LGBTI+
Since January 2011, 18 visits were made to 5 satellite cities (Kayseri, Isparta, Nevşehir, Eskişehir Niğde) LGBT asylum seekers and refugees are generally sent to. Those visits helped determine the problems LGBT asylum seekers and refugees face in Turkey listening their own stories. Moreover, social and financial problems LGBT asylum seekers and refugees encounter have been reported to UNHCR and their UNHCR files have been tracked. Individuals have been given support in fields like right to health, legal counseling and etc., and contact info have been exchanged.
 
Since January 2011;
 
•                     75 LGBT asylum seekers and refugees have been interviewed. They have been informed about how to access social and health services.
•                     10 refugees have contacted Kaos GL via e-mail. The problems the refugees mentioned either in person or via e-mail have been reported to UNHCR via e-mail and in case of emergency on the phone.
•                     Kaos GL has been licensed by 50 LGBT asylum seekers and refugees to share information from their UNHCR files. Their files have been tracked and they have been informed about it later on.
•                     10 refugees have been informed about the procedures to move to another satellite city. For 5 refugees, required documents have been prepared to be given to the Police Department and police officers have been contacted on the phone. 
•                     A judge in Isparta has been contacted for a refugee who had a court case. The trial has been executed on an earlier date so that the refugee could exit with no problems.
•                     The file of a refugee who had been sexually attacked has been investigated for an ongoing court case. The court has been contacted and legal counseling has been given.
•                     A refugee has been supported to take action following a burglary at his/her place and the refugee has been accompanied to the police station.
•                     4 transgender refugees who had been attacked have been informed about the legal procedures.
•                     13 refugees have been directed to UNHCR for financial support.
•                     UNHCR has been interviewed for 4 transgender in need of hormonal support and the refugees have been informed about the required procedures.
•                     A fund has been found for 5 transgender refugees who needed financial support for hormone support.
•                     During post-objection interviews of 2 rejection files, we attended as an observing body.
•                     The situation of 2 refugees who had the risk of deportation has been sent to UNHCR and the refugees have been informed about asylum procedures.
•                     For a refugee who had been bothered with his/her flat owner, the owner has been contacted.
•                     The situation of 15 refugees with health problems has been reported to UNHCR and the refugees have been informed about where to apply for medical treatment.
•                     For a refugee who had sheltering problems, Association for Solidarity with Asylum Seekers and Migrants Isparta Branch Office provided a room at its guest house. The situation has been reported to UNHCR and the refugee has been moved to Isparta.
•                     A refugee who sought for asylum has been informed about where to apply and the asylum procedures in general.
•                     A fund has been found for 2 refugees in emergency. 23 refugees have been given financial support under the scope of the project Kaos GL runs together with IRQO (IRanian Queer Organisation) and Heartland Alliance. We send our deepest thanks to IRQO and Heartland Alliance for their co-operation and support.
•                     The refugees who asked for condoms at Kaos GL office have been provided with condoms for free.
•                     During Anti-Homophobia Meeting, Kaos GL organized the program “LGBT Refugees Meet Against Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Discrimination” in Kayseri, Isparta, Niğde, Nevşehir and Eskişehir.
•                     Kaos GL conveyed the output of meetings of LGBT refugees in 5 cities to the workshop “The Problems of LGBT Refugees in Turkey” organized during Anti-Homophobia Meeting with Amnesty International Turkey Office on 12 May, Thursday.
•                     LGBT refugees from Iran attended the March Against Homophobia and Transphobia on 22 May. Kaos GL and IRQR helped the refugees with a minibus from Kayseri so that they could attend the march. 25 LGBT asylum seekers and refugees attended the Anti-Homophobia March.
•                     For World Refugee Day on 20 June, “Hope Tent” has been set up on Yüksel Street by Kaos GL and Amnesty International Turkey Office on  18 June 2011, Saturday. After the press release, the group marched to the Yenişehir Post Office and sent a letter to the Ministry of Internal Affairs regarding the Bill on Foreigners that it shall be considered from a LGBT asylum seekers and refugees perspective.
•                     Our co-operation partners Canada-based IRQO, Saghi Ghahraman and US-based Heartland Alliance, Matthew French visited Kaos GL. Kaos GL visited LGBT asylum seekers and refugees in Kayseri and Isparta together with IRQO and Heartland Alliance.
 

Tags: human rights
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