UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), ‘Resettlement Assessment Tool: Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Intersex Refugees’, 2013

Abstract

The Resettlement Assessment Tool: Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Intersex Refugees has been developed to enhance UNHCR’s effectiveness and harmonize procedures for assessing Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Intersex (LGBTI) refugees for resettlement. Due to the discrimination and abuse they experience, many LGBTI individuals flee their home countries and seek protection abroad. LGBTI individuals may be under a continuous threat of human rights abuses due to discriminatory laws and hostile societal attitudes in the countries of asylum. Resettlement may be the only viable durable solution for LGBTI refugees facing specific
protection risks due to their sexual orientation and gender identity. In some cases emergency processing or evacuation may be required as lengthy processing can exacerbate the security risks. It is important for UNHCR staff to develop a thorough understanding of the multiple forms of harm and discrimination experienced by LGBTI refugees, and to ensure that LGBTI refugees have fair access to the resettlement process and that their resettlement needs are assessed on a non-discriminatory basis.