Germany has opened its first shelter for LGBTI refugees, as a result of growing fears for their safety in overcrowded refugee accommodation.
The new Nuremberg-based shelter can currently host up to eight people, however, a separate much larger shelter is also planned to open in Berlin, with the possibility of accommodating up to 120 people.
Michael Glas, who runs an association called Fliederlich that started the initiative says, “No one has moved in yet but it’s a question of a day or two, the accommodation is ready.”
Glas explains that since the shelters completion four people from Iran, Iraq, Syria and Ethiopia have since made requests to stay.
The association says they decided to open the shelter following being contacted by 20 refugees who said they felt threatened in the shelters they were originally put up in.
“Prejudices doesn’t disappear when one crosses the borders,” Glas added.
“Those who are persecuted in their home countries for being gay are also being targeted in refugee shelters in Germany.”
To date, there is no data available on the number of attacks against LGBTI refugees across Germany, which has accepted over 1.1 million asylum seekers since 2015.
The gay and lesbian association for the states of Berlin and Brandenburg say they have recorded over 95 cases between the 1st of August and the 431st of December 2015 that include physical violence, sexual attacks and threats.
Last Updated on Feb 5, 2016
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