ORAM and University of Minnesota Law School Release Country of Origin Report on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity and Expression in Guatemala
Minneapolis, MN (July 29nd, 2021): ORAM - Organization for Refuge, Asylum and Migration and the University of Minnesota Law School today announced the publication of a Country-of-Origin Information (COI) Report entitled ‘Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity and Expression in Guatemala’ co-produced by both organizations.
LGBTIQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, intersex and queer) people in Guatemala face significant hardships originating from both social barriers and government actions, which enforce discrimination against sexual minorities. This report describes the national legal framework that applies to sexual minorities, the conditions LGBTIQ Guatemalans face, and social attitudes toward them. As demonstrated in the report, without strong legislative intervention to improve the treatment of LGBTIQ citizens combined with changes in society’s attitudes towards LGBTIQ people, the climate of persecution in Guatemala will continue to worsen.
“We are very pleased to have worked together with the University of Minnesota to produce this COI report, which provides information critical to the asylum process showing the systemic persecution experienced by vulnerable Guatemalan LGBT asylum seekers,” said Anja Limon, ORAM’s Legal Program Manager.
"This report will be an important tool for refugee and asylum-seeker advocates in providing more protection for, and assistance to, members of the LGBT community who are fleeing persecution in Guatemala," said Stephen Meili, Director of the University of Minnesota's Immigration and Human Rights Clinic, which co-authored the report.
COI reports are a cornerstone of decision-making in the asylum process. This report is intended to help asylum seeker advocates and adjudicators assess claims of LGBT people fleeing persecution in Guatemala, by providing context around their individual stories. ORAM partnered with the Immigration and Human Rights Clinic at the University of Minnesota to create and deliver this significant report.
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About ORAM: Founded in 2008, ORAM is dedicated to the protection of LGBTIQ asylum seekers and refugees worldwide. ORAM collaborates with local stakeholders and beneficiaries to ensure that its work is built around the people it serves. Through capacity building, groundbreaking research and collaborative relationships with governments, international organizations and NGO’s worldwide, ORAM has successfully increased system-wide awareness and protection of LGBTIQ refugees and continues to deliver special expertise in this constantly evolving field.
About the Immigration and Human Rights Clinic at the University of Minnesota: The Immigration and Human Rights Clinic is part of the James H. Binger Center for New Americans at the University of Minnesota Law School. Students in the Clinic represent asylum-seekers and human trafficking survivors who are seeking protection in the United States. The Clinic also works on public policy issues affecting refugees, asylum-seekers and other non-citizens. Learn more about the Clinic at https://www.law.umn.edu/course/7842/immigration-and-humanrights-clinic
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