For the third consecutive year, we organized a training titled: Strengthening the Capacities of Service Providers and Decision-Makers from State Institutions of the Republic of Serbia Regarding the Position of LGBTI+ Refugees, Asylum Seekers, and People on the Move.
On 5 December 2025, the Belgrade Centre for Human Rights organized the training as part of the EU4FAST project, financially supported by the European Union, the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), the Italian Ministry of the Interior, and the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The aim of the training was to enhance institutional capacities and raise awareness among representatives of state institutions for working with the LGBTI+ community by increasing knowledge of LGBTI+ rights, fostering networking and experience exchange, and strengthening skills for providing adequate support.
Participants attended lectures and workshops led by experts with extensive experience in LGBTI+ rights and work with refugees. Aleksa Savić, Executive Director of the IZAĐI Group, opened the training with a lecture on terminology and the historical development of the LGBTI+ community in Serbia. This was followed by a session led by Kristian Ranđelović, Executive Director of XY Spectrum, who spoke about the position of trans and intersex persons and the everyday challenges they face in Serbia.
Vladimir Sjekloća, Director of the Centre for Crisis Policy and Response, introduced participants to the lives of LGBTI+ refugees in their countries of origin and to various legal frameworks that criminalize LGBTI+ communities. The programme also included a workshop on discrimination and stereotypes titled “Labels”, facilitated by Jelena Kostić, a social worker with Jesuit Refugee Services (JRS) Serbia. The training concluded with a session on the legal aspects of protecting LGBTI+ refugees and asylum seekers, delivered by Petar Vidosavljević, legal officer at the Belgrade Centre for Human Rights.
The training was implemented within the project “Specialized Support to (Potential) Victims of Migrant Smuggling and Human Trafficking and Legal Pathways for Vulnerable Groups in Serbia”, carried out under the regional EU4FAST initiative. The activity was organized within the framework of the Rainbow Migration Network (RMN), a network established to provide comprehensive and continuous support to LGBTI+ refugees, asylum seekers, and people on the move.
Photo: Belgrade Centre for Human Rights
