Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trangender (LGBT+) refugees in the Kenyan capital of Nairobi are staging a peaceful demonstration at the Refugee Affairs Secretariat (RAS) offices urging the concerned authorities to grant them movement passes allowing them to relocate from the main city to Kakuma Refugee camp.

The group which consists of both refugees and asylum seekers remain camped outside the RAS and United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) offices because they lack the appropriate documentation to find employment within the city or even move back to the camp.

Our source on ground intimated that the situation was critical and they await both RAS’ and UNHCR’s response to their requests.  “We are still waiting for the Reception Manager to give us feedback. She said she talked to UNHCR officials yesterday and we are hopeful that she will have some answers for us soon,” our source shared about the situation.

This is not the first time that LGBT+ refugees are demonstrating; they have in the past held protests beseeching UNCHR to speed up their processes as some refugees remain unverified for as long as even three years while most do not receive the necessary movement or work documentation- something that has hindered them from forging livelihoods.

Some of the previous protests have resulted in violent altercations between the law enforcers and the refugees, with some refugees ending up in jail and others being charged before courts of law.  Most of these have been demonstrations against the long-standing abuse, discrimination, violence, and lack of proper services and protections afforded to LGBTQI refugees in the camps.