Professionals working with asylum seekers in Bosnia and Herzegovina have expanded their knowledge and skills when it comes to safeguarding the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, and intersex (LGBTI) persons seeking protection in the country.

A two-day workshop held in Delijaš on 16–17 September provided 17 participants with practical tools to identify and assess asylum claims based on sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, and sex characteristics, and to address the specific protection needs of LGBTI persons.

The training responds to the reality that many LGBTI asylum seekers face when fleeing persecution in their home countries. They often face an additional level of discrimination and barriers during asylum procedures in transit or host countries. By strengthening the participants’ knowledge of international and European standards, the event aimed to ensure that asylum processes in Bosnia and Herzegovina uphold human rights and offer effective protection to all.

 “In order to provide better standards for vulnerable categories and understand the needs of this group, it is very important for us, with the help of the European Union and the Council of Europe and their partners, to have organised this workshop designed for officials who directly and indirectly work with this vulnerable group in Bosnia and Herzegovina,” said Mustafa Pašalić, Head of the Acceptance and Programme Department at the BiH Ministry of Security’s Sector for Asylum.

The workshop was also an opportunity to present the online training course titled “LGBTI persons in the asylum procedure”, part of the Council of Europe’s Human Rights Education for Legal Professionals (HELP) programme, which was recently made available in Bosnian language. The course covers the legal framework, procedural aspects, and the rights of LGBTI persons in the asylum context.

This workshop took place as part of the action “Towards an equal, inclusive and tolerant Bosnia and Herzegovina,” part of the Council of Europe’s and European Union’s joint programme “Horizontal Facility for the Western Balkans and Türkiye,” the Council of Europe project “Promoting human rights and equality for LGBTI persons,“ and the Council of Europe project “Combatting discrimination, hatred and racism in Bosnia and Herzegovina” implemented under the Council of Europe’s Action Plan for Bosnia and Herzegovina 2022-2025.