Safety is personal
A country can be considered safe on paper.
That does not mean it is safe for everyone.
StopQueerDeportations stands up for LGBTQIA+ people who face deportation, forced return or transfer to a country or environment where their safety, freedom or dignity may be at risk because of who they are.
We believe that decisions affecting someone’s safety must look beyond general classifications, laws on paper or assumptions about an entire country.
They must also look at the person.
Their sexual orientation. Their gender identity or gender expression. Their family and social environment. The reality of local attitudes and discrimination. Their ability to live openly and safely. And the individual risks they may face if they are forced to return.
Because a country that may be safe for one person can be dangerous for another.
Who we are
StopQueerDeportations is an official campaign and initiative of Stichting Queer Sanctuary Foundation, a Dutch non-profit foundation established on 28 August 2026 and based in the municipality of Venray, the Netherlands.
Stichting Queer Sanctuary Foundation works to advance the safety, protection, equality, human dignity and social participation of LGBTQIA+ people, with particular attention to people in vulnerable situations, including refugees and asylum seekers.
StopQueerDeportations focuses specifically on situations in which LGBTQIA+ people face deportation, forced return or transfer while there are concerns about their personal safety.
Our work brings together awareness, individual support, access to professional expertise, advocacy and the identification of wider structural problems.
Why StopQueerDeportations exists
For LGBTQIA+ refugees and asylum seekers, safety cannot always be measured by looking at a country’s legislation alone.
A country may formally protect LGBTQIA+ people while discrimination, violence or persecution still occurs in practice. Protection from authorities may be limited or inaccessible. Risks may also come from family members, local communities or other people rather than directly from the state.
Individual circumstances matter.
We therefore believe that the question should never simply be:
“Is this country safe?”
It should also be:
“Is this person safe there?”
No one should have to hide their sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression simply to avoid violence, persecution or serious harm.
And no one should be reduced to a case number, a procedure or a country classification.
Behind every asylum or deportation case is a human being.
What we do
StopQueerDeportations combines several forms of action.
We raise awareness about the risks LGBTQIA+ people may face in deportation and forced-return situations and bring attention to the difference between general country assessments and individual safety.
Where possible, we help people find appropriate information, support and specialised professional assistance.
Through Stichting Queer Sanctuary Foundation, we are also building and expanding a network of lawyers, organisations, professionals and other experts whose knowledge may be relevant when someone needs specialised support.
At the same time, we look beyond individual cases.
When similar problems occur repeatedly, they may point to a wider structural issue. We want to identify those signals and use them in our advocacy, public awareness work and dialogue with organisations, professionals, policymakers and other relevant parties.
Our aim is not only to respond when something goes wrong, but also to contribute to systems in which individual LGBTQIA+ safety is properly recognised.
Support where expertise matters
Immigration and asylum procedures can have life-changing consequences.
That is why we believe people should have access to qualified professional assistance when they need it.
StopQueerDeportations and Stichting Queer Sanctuary Foundation do not replace lawyers or other regulated professionals. We can provide information and practical or case-related support and, where possible, help connect people with appropriate specialised professionals.
Legal work requiring professional qualifications or authorisation is carried out by qualified legal professionals.
We believe collaboration is essential. No single organisation has all the expertise needed to address the complex situations LGBTQIA+ refugees and asylum seekers can face.
More than a campaign
StopQueerDeportations is a campaign, but we want it to be more than a message on a poster or a hashtag on social media.
Awareness matters when it leads to people being heard.
Advocacy matters when it brings real experiences into discussions about policy and practice.
And support matters when someone facing an uncertain future knows that there are people willing to listen, help them understand their options and connect them with the right expertise.
That is why our campaign combines public awareness with practical action, professional collaboration and advocacy.
Part of Stichting Queer Sanctuary Foundation
StopQueerDeportations operates under the responsibility of Stichting Queer Sanctuary Foundation.
This means that the campaign is not a separate legal organisation. Its activities form part of the foundation’s wider mission and are carried out within its organisational, financial and governance framework.
The foundation is responsible for the campaign’s administration and oversight and for the careful development of its activities.
As a young organisation, we are continuing to expand our network, capacity and services. We prefer to be transparent about that development rather than promise support that we cannot yet responsibly provide.
What does not depend on our size, however, is our commitment to treating every person with dignity and respect.
Our message
We know that migration and asylum systems are complex.
We also know that decisions about return and deportation can involve laws, international agreements, government policies and individual circumstances.
But complexity should never make the individual disappear.
When a decision may determine whether someone can live safely and freely, their personal reality matters.
Their identity matters.
Their safety matters.
And their life matters.
A “safe country” can still be dangerous when you are queer.
Human rights have no borders.