COMMUNITY: UK Lesbian and Gay Immigration Group

Gay Immigration Group

The organisation helping LGBT asylum seekers


The UK Lesbian & Gay Immigration Group (UKLGIG) is a charity that helps LGBTQ people who are trying to get asylum in the UK or are emigrating with their same-sex partner.

The group was created in 1993, originally as Stonewall Immigration Group. They campaigned successfully for the ‘unmarried partners concession’, which gave certain gay and lesbian couples equal immigration rights before Civil Partnerships were introduced in 2004. After this, they re-directed their efforts to helping those seeking refuge in the UK from countries where LGBTQ people face severe persecution. They host monthly meetings for those who are making asylum applications, provide online resources and the details of specialised Legal Representatives, and offer personal support to those held in UK detention centres.

With the shocking news that has emerged of gay and bisexual men being rounded up and detained in unofficial prisons in Chechnya, the work that UKLGIG carry out is more important than ever. Funding cuts have made it even more difficult to apply for asylum in the UK. Once here, many face even further abuses in UK detention centres, which UKLGIG drew attention to in their 2015 publication No Safe Refuge; released jointly with Stonewall. Many applications are rejected despite rounds of intrusive questioning and those affected are deported back to countries that persecute LGBTQ people. In 2010, they found that this was the case for 98-99% of applications, which forced a Home Office investigation into the UK asylum process for LGBTQ people.

• UKLGIG relies completely on financial contributions from supporters and the majority of staff are volunteers. If you would like to donate, then text LGIG01 and the amount you’d like to give to 70070. Information on volunteer roles and the work they carry out can be seen on uklgig.org.uk

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