Micro Rainbow International (MRI), a pioneering enterprise set up to address the situation of poverty of LGBTI people worldwide, has launched a new report entitled Poverty, Sexual Orientation and Refugees in the UK.
The report, which is the first to be published in the UK on the issues of poverty faced by lesbian and gay refugees, was compiled following MRI consultation over the past year with 50 lesbian and gay refugees in London and Manchester.
Some of the findings show that:
• Lesbian and gay refugees live below the poverty line and are at risk of destitution.
• They are extremely isolated and frequently ostracised by their families and co-nationals.
• There is much misinformation amongst UK employers in relation to refugees’ full entitlement to work and such employers often question the validity of their refugee documents, with the additional accusation or suspicion of forgery.
MRI believes this report is useful not only to give a voice to the many lesbian and gay refugees who find themselves in situations of poverty but also, through its recommendations, to encourage LGBTI, refugee and community organisations, service providers and policy makers to fight poverty among lesbian and gay refugees.
Sebastian Rocca, MRI’s founder and CEO, said:
“We hope that this report will start a conversation that is desperately needed: a dialogue that is not only about equal rights, equal opportunities and equal access to services but also about caring and treating each other with respect and dignity.”
To see the full report, CLICK HERE:
For more information, Micro Rainbow International, CLICK HERE:
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