Report on the experiences of LGBTIQA+ settlement in Australia
In 2021 FDPN ran the first Australia-wide survey to comprehensively capture the experiences of displacement and settlement of LGBTIQ+ forcibly displaced people.
The aim of this survey was to collect information about the experiences and barriers of LGBTIQA+ forcibly displaced people in Australia so we can advocate for more welcoming and inclusive support.
This is a very important survey. Such comprehensive information has not yet been collected in Australia.
We collected the comprehensive data about LGBTIQA+ forcibly displaced people in Australia, their experiences in Australia and where they seek help. Collected data will be used to advocate for better support for LGBTIQA+ asylum seekers, refugees and migrants. This matters because we, as LGBTIQA+displaced people, remain unseen and unheard in Australia where we deserve equal opportunities to call Australia home.
The development of the survey was funded by the ACT Government Office of LGBTIQ+ Affairs. Parts of the analysis after the data was collected was supported by the Department of Home Affairs.
The ethical aspects of this research have been approved by the ANU Human Research Ethics Committee (Protocol 2022/326).
Download the final report: “Inhabiting Two Worlds At Once”: report on the experiences of LGBTIQA+ settlement in Australia
Download the report here: https://fdpn.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/inhabiting-two-worlds-report-into-lgbtiqa-settlement-outcomes-fdpn-colour.pdf
Download snapshot reports:
Focus on trans displaced people: https://fdpn.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/fdpn_inhabiting-two-worlds-at-once-trans-participants.pdf
Focus on women: https://fdpn.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/fdpn_inhabiting-two-worlds-at-once-women.pdf
Key findings:
Health and Mental Health
Self-reported mental health scores on a scale of 1 to 100 indicate serious concern for all participants of the survey, but especially among individuals with disabilities (32/100) and trans individuals (48/100).
Physical health scores on a scale of 1 to 100 were higher than mental health scores for participants with an average at 73/100. However, there is disparities among particular groups.
Around 27% of the participants reported that their overall health had worsened since their arrival in Australia.
Access to General Practitioners is limited for some participants with 12% not seeing a GP at all. This is partly due to participants’ ineligibility for Medicare.
Discrimination within the health system affected 33% of participants and encompassed issues such as misgendering, racism, and homophobia.
Education
Only 40% of participants had qualifications that were recognized in Australia.
Participants’ access to education is hindered by differing qualifications from home countries, the high recognition costs of qualifications in Australia and documentation issues around previous qualifications.
Over 65% of participants faced difficulties in studying which was exacerbated by pandemic-related challenges and limited financial support.
Education discrimination affected over 34% of participants.
Education barriers for participants included inaccessible testing, homophobia, transphobia, and financial constraints.
Employment
Casual employment rates for participants are higher (19.5%) than in the general LGBTIQ+ population (16.8%).
Volunteering rates are low (1.2%) for participants and this was due to financial precarity.
Employment barriers for participants include visa status and employers not recognising work experience before their arrival in Australia.
Employment discrimination is widespread (51.2%) for participants. Intersectional discrimination based on LGBTIQA+ identity and race is common.
Social Support Services
Participants most accessed services are mental health and general health services, LGBTIQA+ organisations, refugee and asylum-seeking services and LGBTIQA+ refugee organisations or peer support groups.
Despite the high prevalence of violence in Australia against this community, sexual assault and family violence services are underutilized with over 86% participants not accessing these services.
Survey participants who were homeless (26.8%) face barriers to housing services, including visa status.
Barriers to service access include uncertainty about LGBTIQA+ inclusivity, awareness gaps, cultural competence concerns, and participants not perceiving the need for services.
A concerning 67% of participants experience discrimination in the service system.
Community Support and Connections
Many participants feel part of the LGBTIQA+ community (91%), but some only when concealing their migration status.
Approximately 56% of participants feel part of their ethnic community and 63% of participants feel part of the refugee and asylum-seeking community, but often when they do not disclose their LGBTIQA+ status.
For those participants with disabilities, 62% do not feel part of the disabled community.
Homelessness
About 35% of participants have experienced homelessness, with an average duration of 4.5 months.
Financial stress, unemployment, and insecure visa status are the main contributors to homelessness.
Discrimination in housing affects approximately 50.8% of participants with experiences encompassing racism, homophobia, and transphobia.
Experiences of Discrimination across areas of life
Discrimination is widespread within the lives of participants with 69% experiencing LGBTIQA+ discrimination, 85% experiencing racism and migration status discrimination, and 15% experiencing ableism.
Reporting discrimination Fear of repercussions, unawareness of remedies, and visa status concerns hinder reporting.
Complaints often yield no change or negative outcomes.
Experiences of Violence
Around 60% of participants experience violence in Australia which is notably higher than the national average of 4.4%.
The most prevalent form of violence that participants experience are emotional and verbal abuse. This is followed by sexual harassment, physical violence, and LGBTIQA+ related abuse.
Sexual violence against participants often involves known perpetrators.
Only 17% of participants seek support after violence and when they do, the primary sources are counselling and friends.
Impacts of the COVID-19 Pandemic
Negative pandemic impacts for paticpants include worsened mental health, concerns for family in home countries, and isolation.
Experiences of Food Insecurity
During the early months of the pandemic, 15% of participants skipped meals. This dropped during the time of the survey to 6%.
These findings stress the need for targeted support, inclusivity, and outreach efforts for those working with LGBTIQA+ forcibly displaced people. Addressing health, mental health, education, and employment needs while tackling discrimination and fostering inclusivity in services and communities must be paramount for policymakers, healthcare providers, educators, and employers.
Forcibly Displaced People Network 