Systematic Victimization by BAMF in Germany: Queer Refugees Are Left Alone, Traumatized, and Rejected
The suffering of queer refugees in Germany is growing deeper by the day. The Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF) has issued rejection letters to hundreds of LGBTQI+ asylum seekers in recent months, while a rising wave of complaints and pleas on social media are being ignored. BAMF's systematic dismissal of queer asylum seekers' testimonies, often with the excuse "there is no danger for you, you can return," has become not an exception but the norm.
“Germany is not a safe haven for queer refugees; it’s a site of psychological destruction!”
Many queer refugees have begun to expose BAMF's arbitrary decisions and the trauma they endure via social media. Among those rejected and threatened with deportation are individuals who have suffered heart attacks, attempted suicide, or been forced into psychiatric treatment.
As activists on the ground have pointed out, Germany now operates one of the slowest, most passive, and most neglectful queer asylum systems in Europe. BAMF, with its absurd demand for “proof of persecution,” seems to be searching for signs like broken limbs as evidence. This justification—“no proof of persecution”—is used to deport queer individuals back to dangerous environments, in blatant violation of international human rights law. Testimony must be enough for queer asylum seekers, because they are a sensitive and vulnerable group—if they were safe, accepted, or protected in their home countries, why would they flee?
No Active Civil Society, Only Silence
Most queer organizations in Germany remain silent in the face of this crisis. While they appear at LGBTQ+ themed festivals, these institutions are absent when it comes to building an active defense against BAMF’s clear human rights violations. Legal support, secure housing, and media visibility for refugees are minimal and ineffective.
“There are queer organizations in Germany, but they’re dysfunctional. We don’t see any structures fighting in the streets for LGBTQI+ refugees,” say many queer asylum seekers in Germany.
Not Housing—It’s Exile
Queer individuals whose asylum claims are rejected by BAMF are often forced to live in shelters under heteronormative conditions. Even if not sharing a room directly, they are housed in environments dominated by cis-hetero asylum seekers. Some same-sex couples are not recognized as couples and are forced to share accommodation with other queer individuals. Their rights to privacy, safety, and psychological well-being are blatantly violated.
Moreover, asylum processes drag on for years, and court cases are typically delayed for long periods. Yet these individuals urgently need swift and protective legal decisions. The courts’ lack of urgency only deepens the injustice caused by BAMF.
Germany Lags Behind Western Europe
Germany is falling behind many Western European countries in its treatment of queer asylum seekers. Countries like the UK, France, Belgium, and Ireland have created dedicated housing for LGBTQI+ refugees and process applications more swiftly. Meanwhile, Germany remains stuck in the mindset of “prove your persecution.”
Although statistical data is hard to access, a significant portion of appeals to BAMF arise because queer identity is disregarded or dismissed. Experiences of stigma, exclusion, and violence are often completely erased from case files.