The Belgrade Centre for Human Rights marked Pride Month and World Refugee Day with an event held on 23 June at the Human Rights House in Belgrade. The gathering brought together representatives of institutions, civil society organisations and international partners to highlight the situation of refugees and people on the move in Serbia, with particular focus on LGBTI+ persons on the move, who face multiple vulnerabilities.
The event also marked the conclusion of an online campaign BCHR conducted from 17 May – the International Day against Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia – to 20 June, World Refugee Day. The campaign, conducted within the Rainbow Migration Network (RMN), shed light on the reasons LGBTI+ persons flee their countries, the risks they face during migration, including smuggling, human trafficking and labour exploitation, as well as the importance of providing them access to legal and psychological support, safe spaces and inclusive services.
The event was opened by Daniela Funke, Director of the German Development Cooperation Agency (GIZ) in Serbia, who emphasised the importance of regional cooperation and support for organisations working to protect refugees and LGBTI+ individuals and expressed her gratitude for the partnership with BCHR. BCHR Programme Director Dušan Pokuševski addressed the audience on behalf of the organisation and spoke about current challenges in the field of asylum and migration, underlining the importance of joint initiatives of all protagonists in the protection system.
BCHR’s Asylum and Migration Programme Coordinator Jelena Ilić presented the publication POLICY PAPER: Key Lessons Learned and Successful Practices from BCHR’s Implementation of the Project “Support to (Potential) Victims of Migrant Smuggling and Human Trafficking in Serbia”.
The exhibition “Boundless Love – When Love Crosses Borders”, created in collaboration between GIZ and BCHR, was showcased for the first time at the Human Rights House. BCHR’s Petar Vidosavljević introduced the concept and message of the exhibition, as well as the experiences of people forced to flee their countries due to persecution based on sexual orientation or gender identity. The author of the photographs, Sever Zolak, also addressed the audience, sharing his personal story and motivation to take part in the project, and spoke about the importance of socially engaged art in the fight for the rights of LGBTI+ people, refugees and other vulnerable groups.
The event continued with a panel discussion titled Challenges Faced by LGBTI+ Persons and Refugees in Serbia and the Importance of Multidisciplinary Support, moderated by Vesna Dobrosavljević. Panellists Bojana Trivunčić (IAN), Aleksa Savić (IZAĐI Group), Rajko Matuško (CRPC), and Miloš Perić (DUGA Association) shared their experiences from practice and discussed the needs and challenges faced by this community.
The BCHR will continue its activities empowering the LGBTI+ community, refugees and asylum seekers and its efforts to advance their rights and status in society.
This event was organised within the project Specialised Support to (Potential) Victims of Migrant Smuggling and Human Trafficking and Legal Pathways for Vulnerable Groups in Serbia, which is part of the regional project EU4FAST, supported by the EU, the European Commission, the German BMZ, the Italian Ministry of the Interior and the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
photo: BCHR
