As Uganda debates the re-introduction of an Anti-Homosexuality Bill, ORAM publishes a comprehensive Country of Origin Report on the conditions of LGBTI individuals in the country
ORAM has published an extensive report titled "Country of Origin Report: Sexual and Gender Minorities - Uganda." The unique report includes an extensive case law section, analyzing key asylum decisions in Ugandan LGBTI asylum cases from six jurisdictions worldwide.
This report is particularly timely. Ugandan LGBTI individuals and activists recount growing hostility and fear as Uganda debates re-introducing an "Anti-Homosexuality Bill," while homosexuality remains criminalized under existing law. The Anti-Homosexuality Act, initially dubbed the " Kill the Gays Bill," was annulled by Uganda's Constitutional Court in August 2014 on a parliamentary technicality. The Act imposed up to life imprisonment for same-sex sexual acts, and punished those who advocate for sexual minority rights or provide services to LGBTI people. Violence toward LGBTI individuals in Uganda has escalated, and many are fleeing the country.
Country of Origin reports are a critical tool for adjudicators and protection experts assessing risk of persecution, credibility, and availability of state protection in asylum and refugee claims. Building on its expertise and its deep understanding of the refugee field, ORAM demonstrates through this report that a nuanced and culturally-informed approach to sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI) in Country of Origin Information (COI) will lead to more accurate adjudication of LGBTI asylum and refugee claims.
ORAM provides expert opinions to the European Asylum Support Office (EASO), which is the EU's official training agency on asylum policy, on formulation of guidelines of COI regarding sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression. ORAM is the recognized global expert on LGBTI refugee and asylum issues.
ORAM's Uganda report, as well as its other upcoming SOGI-specific publications and materials, forms part of a growing library of specialized tools readily available to refugee professionals worldwide.
Contact: giampaolo@oraminternational.org
