Unsafe haven : the security challenges facing lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender asylum seekers and refugees in Turkey

This report is based on in-depth interviews with 46 LGBT asylum seekers and refugees living in Turkey, most of whom are Iranian. Their testimonials shed light on serious gaps in their protection. Most reported consistent, often violent harassment from local community members. They also described a lack of sufficient police protection in response to their complaints of violence, including admonitions that they stay home or dress "like a man" to avoid being targeted. Others reported being evicted from home on the basis of their sexual orientation or gender identity. The few able to secure work described being violently forced off the job when their LGBT status was exposed. Yet others reported identity-based barriers accessing social services and education. These LGBT asylum seekers and refugees are subjected to a particularly caustic mix of marginalization in key areas of life, preventing them from obtaining assistance or employment, and depriving them of even the most basic security during their lengthy stay in Turkey. Most live out their time in Turkey in destitution and desperation.