Lesbian refugee mothers face hardship reuniting with their children
A European lesbian support group has reported that many lesbian refugee mothers applying for asylum are having a hard time reuniting with their children.
In an article by OpenDemocracy, most of these children are from lesbian mothers who were forced to marry to hide their sexual orientation or compelled into a formalized, heterosexual union.
Lesbian refugee mothers facing many challenges
LeTRa, a Munich-based group that offers social and legal support to 180 lesbian-identifying women mostly from Sub-Saharan Africa seeking asylum in Germany, noted that 78 percent of their clients are mothers.
Because many of them can’t afford the visa and transportation costs of bringing their children with them, most of their clients travel alone when they seek asylum.
This means they have to leave their children with their relatives, LGBTQ allies, and in rare cases, their biological fathers.
This separation can take years and many of them will never be able to bring their children to Germany, according to LeTRa.
One reason is because lesbian mothers are at high-risk of being rejected for refugee protection, with case officers unable to reconcile their motherhood with their sexual orientation.
Lesbian refugee mothers and their children
Another reason is that German asylum law requires reuniting families only after the mother is granted refugee or subsidiary protection status and before the children turns 18.
If reunification is allowed, bringing children to Germany takes up time and money, which includes a mandatory DNA test to prove blood relationship. It also requires visa fees and travel.
Livia, a lesbian from Uganda and mother of children seeking asylum in Germany, said: “The moment you leave your children behind, half of you is back home and half of you is here.”
“You are thinking about the children all the time– especially if they are young,” said Livia, whose name has been changed in the article to protect her identity.
Global LGBT refugees by the numbers
Presently, homosexuality and/or homosexual conduct is criminalized in more than 75 countries, with 13 imposing the death penalty for those caught violating their laws.
In 2019, a UN report noted that there are 37 countries that grant asylum for those facing persecution on the basis of sexual orientation, gender identity, and expression, and/or sex characteristics.
However, the same report noted that despite having laws that allow this, these countries fail to offer asylum.
“It is time to recognise the specific needs of LGBTI asylum-seekers and refugees and to give them the protection they need,” said the UN experts.