On the margins of refuge: Queer Syrian refugees and the politics of belonging and mobility in post-2019 Lebanon

Abstract

This paper explores the dual marginalization of LGBTIQ+ Syrian refugees in Lebanon, highlighting the interplay between national policies on deportation and the crackdown on the LGBTIQ+ community post-2019. Lebanon, home to 1.5 million Syrian refugees—the highest per capita globally—is a case study in how social, political, economic, and legal frameworks do not merely overlook refugee challenges but actively intensify their isolation. Particularly for LGBTIQ+ Syrian refugees, everyday experiences of violence, discrimination, stigmatization, and isolation are exacerbated by these frameworks. In 2022, this situation worsened when Lebanon's Minister of Interior, yielding to pressure from religious groups, directed security forces to disrupt gatherings within the LGBTIQ+ community. Employing qualitative research methods, this study delves into the compounded effects of these policies on the intersectional vulnerabilities of queer Syrian refugees. It examines their perceptions of vulnerability and security, underlining the profound impacts of overlapping decisions on deportation and the suppression of LGBTIQ+ rights.