Incorporating Sexual and Gender Minorities Into Refugee and Asylum Intake and Registration Systems

N. Grungras, J. Burnstein, C. Dominey, J. Ferron, S. Nahas

This pamphlet aims to guide governments, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in developing refugee intake and registration queries that are inclusive of sexual and gender minorities (SGMs). Increasing numbers of refugees and asylum seekers are basing their claims for protection on their sexual orientation or gender identity (SOGI). Simultaneously, more jurisdictions are granting unification rights to refugees in unmarried partnerships. The pamphlet explains how current intake and registration systems do not capture information that refugee agencies need in order to make fully informed decisions in SOGIbased cases and offers practical solutions to this information gap.