Published to coincide with International Human Solidarity Day 2025
Protection Briefing: Protection Challenges and Advocacy Engagement for LGBTQ Refugees in Gorom Refugee Settlement, South Sudan
Prepared by: Trans Initiative Gorom
Period Covered: May 2025 – Present
Purpose: To highlight protection concerns, advocacy engagement, and priority needs of LGBTQ refugees
1. Executive Summary
Since May 2025, LGBTQ refugees in Gorom Refugee Settlement have experienced increased protection concerns linked to changes in settlement arrangements and heightened community tensions. These developments have contributed to fear, instability, and uncertainty regarding safety and access to protection. Through advocacy, documentation, and engagement with UNHCR and international partners, LGBTQ refugees and community advocates have sought protection-oriented responses and durable solutions. While engagement has helped reduce some immediate risks, significant protection gaps remain.
2. Background and Context
LGBTQ refugees in Gorom Refugee Settlement have faced long-standing vulnerabilities related to discrimination, visibility, and social exclusion across refugee settings over several years. These challenges have affected access to services, safety, and overall well-being.
Following arrival in Gorom, proposals were made to relocate LGBTQ refugees to alternative locations, including remote camp settings. Community members raised concerns regarding isolation, limited access to information, and potential protection risks in such environments. Advocacy and dialogue with UNHCR and other relevant actors emphasized the importance of protection-sensitive approaches and individual risk assessments.
As a result of this engagement, relocation to remote settings was paused, and individual-level processes were initiated. While challenges persisted in Gorom, these efforts reduced immediate exposure to heightened protection risks.
3. Engagement on Durable Solutions
Given the prolonged protection challenges faced by LGBTQ refugees, community advocates engaged UNHCR to explore durable solutions. Many LGBTQ refugees have experienced repeated insecurity across multiple displacement contexts, highlighting the need for long-term protection pathways.
In 2024, some cases were referred for resettlement consideration through established UNHCR processes. However, during the Trump administration, the United States refugee resettlement program was suspended, resulting in the interruption of these resettlement pathways and increased uncertainty for individuals already facing heightened protection risks.
4. Recent Developments and Protection Impact
In early 2025, new settlement-level directives affecting LGBTQ refugees contributed to increased fear, instability, and concerns about safety. These developments resulted in disruptions to daily life, increased movement, and heightened anxiety among LGBTQ refugees.
The situation underscored the need for:
5. Advocacy and Community Engagement
LGBTQ refugees and community advocates prioritized advocacy, documentation, and engagement with UNHCR, international partners, and humanitarian actors to raise awareness of protection needs. These efforts focused on constructive dialogue, visibility of protection concerns, and strengthening community-based protection mechanisms.
Advocacy contributed to increased attention from international actors and reinforced the importance of inclusive and protection-centered approaches within the broader refugee response.
6. Ongoing Protection Gaps
Despite continued engagement, key challenges remain:
7. Priority Recommendations
We respectfully encourage UNHCR, donor governments, and humanitarian partners to:
- Expand resettlement opportunities for LGBTQ refugees facing heightened protection risks
- Increase protection-focused funding for inclusive shelter, psychosocial support, and community-based protection
- Ensure non-discriminatory protection practices across all refugee assistance and services
- Strengthen protection monitoring and community engagement mechanisms
- Continue dialogue with LGBTQ refugee-led groups to inform protection responses
8. Positive Developments
We acknowledge and appreciate the engagement of resettlement countries, including Canada, in providing protection pathways to some LGBTQ refugees from Gorom. These examples demonstrate the life-saving impact of targeted protection interventions and the importance of expanding such opportunities.
9. Conclusion: A Shared Responsibility
The situation of LGBTQ refugees in Gorom highlights both ongoing protection challenges and the value of sustained advocacy and engagement with UNHCR and international partners. Continued support is essential to ensure safety, dignity and access to durable solutions for LGBTQ refugees facing heightening risks.
Donor governments supporting the humanitarian response in Gorom play a vital role and can further strengthen protection by expanding resettlement slots for LGBTQI refugees most at risk. UNHCR remains central to coordinating protection responses and advancing durable solutions through continued engagement with affected communities.
Donors and humanitarian partners can support flexible, protection-focused funding that prioritizes safety, shelter, and psychosocial support. Activists and civil society can continue to raise awareness responsibly, amplify refugee voices, and advocate for inclusive protection pathways. Together, these actions can help ensure that LGBTQI refugees are not left without options for safety and dignity.
See Also:
Geoff Allshorn and others, 1 June 2025. “When I Needed A Neighbour, Were You There?”, Humanist World blog.
Daniel Itai, 28 May 2024. “South Sudan refugee camp is ‘not a safe haven’ for LGBTQ residents”, Washington Blade.
Joto La Jiwe, 8 August 2025. “LGBTQI+ refugees in South Sudan trapped between a rock and a hard place”, 76 Crimes.
Abraham Junior, 20 June 2025. “The forgotten struggle: LGBTQ refugees and asylum seekers in South Sudan”, Washington Blade.
Abraham Junior, 2 September 2025. “We Exist, We Resist, We Are Not Invisible: Queer, Atheist, and Humanist Refugees in South Sudan”, The Humanist magazine.
Paula Caro Rojas, 25 October 2024. “Surviving in the Gorom refugee camp in South Sudan”, Melting Pot Europa.
Staff Writer, 21 June 2025. “LGBTQ+ Refugees in Gorom Denied Medical and Legal Help”, Radioyei.
This blog ©2025 Geoff Allshorn. All rights hereby returned to the authors of this report, who can be contacted through me.
I show my respect for Elders past and present and acknowledge the Wurundjeri-Willam people, the Traditional Custodians of the Land on which this blog was prepared.