One in four LGBTQ+ asylum seekers in Northern Ireland have been victims of sexual assault in migrant accommodation, a report has revealed.
The figures were revealed in a joint report by the Law Centre NI and Rainbow Refugees NI, conducted amongst current and former asylum seekers here who are members of the LGBTQ+ community.
Released to coincide with Refugee Week, the report shows that 26% had been victims of sexual assault and, overall, 78% of those surveyed had experienced some form of abuse or violence from others in asylum accommodation.
In addition, three in ten had been victims of physical violence.
The organisations involved with the report are calling for the establishment of ‘safe houses’ dedicated for asylum seekers who are members of the LGBTQ+ community.
This would be similar to existing policy which makes provision for those such as single women and people with disabilities to be housed separately.
Separate housing for trans people also currently exists in practice, according to the report’s findings.
Liz Griffith, from the Migration Justice Project at Law Centre NI, said: “LGBTQIA+ asylum seekers deserve the chance to rebuild their lives and feel safe in their own homes.
“We are optimistic that the recommendations in this report will bring about tangible and progressive change.”
She said that they looked forward to “working collectively” with organisations such as Mears, which provides asylum housing on behalf of the Home Office, to ensure the “safety and wellbeing” of asylum seekers.
Asylum seekers from the LGBTQ+ community often flee their country of origin due to homophobia and transphobia.
Other recommendations included quickly relocating LGBTQ+ members away from abusers and asking asylum seekers if they identified as LGBTQ+ during the initial needs assessment.