Syria after Assad: Hope, uncertainty and the situation of queer refugees – Review of training course: ‘The upheaval in Syria and its consequences for asylum and residence law’
One year after the fall of Bashar al-Assad, we organised an online training course at Fluchtgrund Queer- queer Refugees Deutschland. The event highlighted the impact of political developments in Syria on asylum and residence permit procedures for LGBTIQ+Q* refugees. Over 50 participants from non-governmental organisations, counselling centres and projects took part in the three-hour event.
The demise of Assad’s brutal regime marks the end of one of the most violent dictatorships of our time, which is cause for celebration. At the same time, there are still many unanswered questions: What political structures will develop, and what level of protection can minorities such as queer people expect in Syria? LGBTIQ+Q* people in particular are still facing massive persecution and discrimination in all parts of the country.
For many queer refugees from Syria, life in Germany represents the first opportunity to live openly as who they are. Queer communities offer support and protection, especially for those who have lost contact with their families or have been rejected by them. However, the joy of living in relative safety is overshadowed by uncertainty about the future: discussions about the possibility of returning and the possible re-evaluation of Syria as a ‘safe country of origin’ are unsettling for many people whose asylum proceedings are still ongoing or who only have temporary subsidiary protection status.
Lawyer Jens Dieckmann explained the legal framework and consequences for queer refugees. Drawing on his extensive background in migration law, as a criminal defence lawyer and in his work with the UNHCR on refugee issues, the Migration Law and Criminal Law Working Group of the German Bar Association and the Asylum Expert Commission at Amnesty International, he provided valuable insights into the current legal situation.
Key findings:
- Deportations to Syria are inadmissible* in many cases for LGBTIQ+Q refugees, as there are no effective protection programmes for minorities in Syria, and queer people there are demonstrably at risk of persecution, discrimination and violence.
- Supplementary hearings should be requested in order to present sexual orientation or gender identity as grounds for asylum. Certificates from LGBTIQ+Q* specialist organisations are helpful in this regard.
- Multiple residence permits are possible and can be held simultaneously. This has major advantages: it offers flexibility for different life situations, secures legal status in the event of changes, and facilitates professional and social integration. This allows LGBTIQ+Q* refugees to secure their prospects in Germany more effectively without being limited to a single permit.
The training course provided not only legal guidance, as well as an opportunity for intensive discussion of individual cases, which empowered participants in their practical work with LGBTIQ+Q* refugees.
Conclusion:
One year after the fall of the Assad regime, Syria remains unsafe for minorities. Protection and prospects for LGBTIQ+Q* refugees in Germany are still urgently necessary. Asylum processes must take the specific threats and discrimination that queer people continue to face in Syria into account and must not be jeopardised by political reassessments of Syria.