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Invisible Movements: Recommendations for Facilitating the Movement of Persons with Diverse Sexual Orientations, Gender Idientities, Gender Expressions and Sexual Characteristics in the Caribbean

Thematic Area
Gender and migration
Migrant protection and assistance
Year
2023
Country
Bahamas
Suriname
Belize
Trinidad and Tobago
The Caribbean
Language
English

In 2020, there were approximately 281 million international migrants in the world, representing 3.7 percent of the global population. Moreover, migrants who belong to historically marginalized groups are often at risk of discrimination, stigmatization, violence, or difficulty accessing assistance when mobilizing across country borders, especially when they have irregular immigration status. Persons of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, and Intersex (LGBTQI+) community in the Americas and the Caribbean are an example of such a group that can face obstacles to their regular and humane migration conditions. Therefore, IOM conducted this study to examine the situation of cross-border movement within the region among members of the LGBTQI+ community. This study focuses on the policies and legislation affecting the cross-border mobility and migration of persons with diverse sexual orientations, gender identity and expression, and sex characteristics (SOGIESC) in the Caribbean. Using a human rights approach based on principles enshrined in regional and international instruments, it analyses specific case studies in different countries to provide examples of good practices, limitations, and opportunities for improvement.