Make the invisible visible.

Behind every asylum procedure is a person. A life. A story that deserves to be heard.

StopQueerDeportations gives LGBTQ+ asylum seekers, refugees and others affected by asylum, detention, deportation or forced return a place to share their experiences.

Your story can help make the human reality behind asylum and deportation policies visible. By sharing what happened to you, you can help raise awareness, challenge misconceptions and show governments, institutions and the wider public what these decisions can mean for LGBTQ+ people in real life.

Why your story matters

Your experience can:

• show what rejection, detention, deportation or forced return can actually mean for LGBTQ+ people;
• challenge stereotypes, disbelief and misconceptions surrounding LGBTQ+ asylum claims;
• help people understand that a country considered “safe” on paper may not be safe for everyone;
• give others the courage to speak about their own experiences;
• help bring harmful practices and their human consequences into public view;
• contribute to the call for asylum policies that respect human rights, dignity and individual circumstances.

Your story, your identity, your choice

You remain in control of how you want to be identified.

When completing the form, you can choose to have your story published:

• using your real name;
• using a different name or pseudonym; or
• anonymously.

We ask for your real first name and email address so that our team can identify your submission and, where you give permission, contact you about your story. Your surname is optional.

Your email address, telephone number and other private contact details will never be published as part of your story.

Providing a telephone or WhatsApp number is optional. You can also tell us whether we may contact you about your submission and, if so, whether you prefer to communicate in Dutch, English or Turkish.

Your safety comes first

Some stories involve extremely personal or sensitive circumstances. You decide how much you want to tell us.

We ask you not to include unnecessary identity documents, passport numbers, case numbers, home addresses or other information that could put you or someone else at risk.

Before anything is published, your submission will be reviewed. We may remove or anonymise information that could unnecessarily identify or endanger you or another person.

Submitting your story does not mean that it will automatically be published.

Do you need help?

Sharing your story and asking for help are two separate choices.

At the end of the form, you can tell us whether you would also like to ask Stichting Queer Sanctuary Foundation for help.

If you select Yes, you will have space to explain in your own words what is happening and what kind of support you need.

Your story, contact details and request for help will only be securely transferred to Stichting Queer Sanctuary Foundation if you explicitly consent to this transfer.

You can share your story without asking for help. Asking for help also does not mean that your story must be published.

We treat your story with care

We will:

• treat your story with care, dignity and respect;
• respect your choice to use your real name, a pseudonym or remain anonymous;
• never publish your private contact details;
• take your safety and privacy into account when reviewing your submission;
• distinguish clearly between permission to publish your story and permission to transfer information for a request for help;
• never guarantee publication simply because a story has been submitted.

Whether you are sharing an experience of rejection, detention, a Dublin transfer, threatened deportation, forced return, persecution or another part of the asylum process: your experience matters.

Share your story

Use the secure form below to tell us what happened, in your own words and at your own pace.

Your story can make the invisible visible. Your voice can help show the human reality behind deportation.

Please enable JavaScript in your browser to complete this form.

Before you begin - Step 1 of 8

Share Your Story

Your story matters. StopQueerDeportations collects personal stories from LGBTQ+ refugees, asylum seekers and others affected by deportation, detention, unsafe return procedures or failures to recognise LGBTQ+ persecution.

You decide how much you want to tell us. Do not include information that could put you or another person at risk. Submitting your story does not mean it will automatically be published. Our team reviews every submission first.

Need more time? You can save your progress and continue later using the “Save and continue later” option. Uploaded documents are not retained in a saved draft and must be uploaded again when you return.

Are you submitting this story about yourself? *

• Yes, this is my own story.
• No, I am submitting on behalf of someone else.

Do you have permission from this person to share their story with us? *

• Yes
• No

You may only submit another person’s story with their permission.

Are you 18 years old or older? *

• Yes
• No

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About you

Your contact details are used to review your submission and contact you when permitted. Your email address is never published.

First name *

Required. Please enter your real first name. It will not automatically be published.

Last name

Optional. Your last name will not be published unless you explicitly choose publication under your real full name.

Email address *

Required. Your email address will never be published.

Telephone / WhatsApp number

Optional, but recommended if you would like us to contact you.

May we contact you about your story? *

• Yes, you may contact me about my story.
• No, please do not contact me unless legally or technically necessary.

How may we contact you? *

• Email
• Telephone / WhatsApp
• Both

Preferred language for contact *

• Nederlands
• English
• Türkçe

Do you personally belong to the LGBTQ+ community? *

• No
• Yes
• Prefer not to say

How would you describe yourself?

• Lesbian
• Gay
• Bisexual
• Transgender
• Queer
• Intersex
• Non-binary
• Another identity
• I prefer to describe this in my own words
• Prefer not to say

Select all that apply. This information is treated as private and is not automatically included in a published story.

How would you describe yourself in your own words?

Optional.

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How should we identify you?

Your safety comes first. Your real contact details and your public identity are separate. We will not publish your real name unless you explicitly choose that option.

How may we identify you publicly? *

• Use my real first name
• Use my real first and last name
• Use another name / pseudonym
• Keep me anonymous

Public pseudonym *

Enter the name you would like us to use publicly. Do not use the real identity of another person.

Anonymous public description

Example: “An LGBTQ+ asylum seeker from Türkiye”. Leave blank if you prefer simply “Anonymous”.

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Your story

Write in your own words. There is no “right” way to tell your story. You can leave optional questions blank if they do not apply.

What brought you to seek safety or asylum?

What happened to you because of your sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression or sex characteristics?

What happened during your asylum or immigration procedure?

Have you experienced detention or the threat of deportation?

• Yes
• No
• Prefer not to say

Please tell us what happened regarding detention or deportation.

Foundation Queer understand

Were you told that your country of origin or another country was considered “safe”?

• Yes
• No
• I don’t know
• Prefer not to say

What did the “safe country” assessment mean for you personally?

Is there anything else you want people to know?

You may describe what happened, how it affected you, what you fear, what you hope for, or what you believe governments and the public should understand.

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Safety & sensitive information

Do not provide passport numbers, immigration case numbers, home addresses or other identifiers unless genuinely necessary. Our editorial team may remove identifying information to protect you or another person.

Does your story contain the real names of other people? *

• No
• Yes
• I’m not sure

Could publishing any part of your story put you or someone else at risk? *

• No
• Yes
• I’m not sure

What information should we be especially careful with? *

This is for our team’s safety review.

Is your asylum or immigration procedure currently ongoing? *

• Yes
• No
• Prefer not to say

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Publication permission

Publication and support are separate. Your story is reviewed before publication, and submitting does not guarantee publication.

May StopQueerDeportations review your story for possible publication on stopqueerdeportations.org? *

• Yes
• No

May we make minor editorial changes for spelling, grammar, formatting and safety? *

• Yes
• No

May we quote parts of your story on StopQueerDeportations social media? *

• Yes
• Yes, but ask me first
• No

May we use parts of your story in campaign materials, reports or presentations? *

• Yes
• Yes, but ask me first
• No

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Do you need our help?

Your story may also be a request for help. Asking for help is separate from permission to publish your story.

Would you like to ask Stichting Queer Sanctuary Foundation for help? *

• Yes, I would like to ask for help
• No, I am only sharing my story

What is your request related to?

• Asylum procedure
• Threatened deportation or transfer
• Detention
• Dublin procedure
• Legal support
• Safety or protection
• Housing or shelter
• Mental or social support
• Contact with authorities
• Discrimination or violence
• Family/community threats
• Other / I am not sure

Choose the closest option. You can explain freely below.

Please tell us what you need help with. *

Tell us in your own words what is happening and what kind of support you are looking for.

Permission to securely transfer your information to Stichting Queer Sanctuary Foundation *

• Yes, I explicitly consent to the secure transfer of my story, contact details and request for help to Stichting Queer Sanctuary Foundation so they can review my request and contact me about possible support.
• No

Required for a help request to be transferred.

Permission to transfer uploaded support documents to Stichting Queer Sanctuary Foundation *

• Yes, I consent to the files I upload being securely transferred to Stichting Queer Sanctuary Foundation and stored as part of my support file for reviewing and handling my request for help.
• No

This consent is separate from transferring your story and contact details.

Supporting documents for your request for help (optional)

Drag & Drop Files, Choose Files to Upload You can upload up to 10 files.

You may upload documents that can help Stichting Queer Sanctuary Foundation understand your request, such as immigration decisions, legal correspondence or court documents. Uploading files is optional. Files are confidential support documents and are never part of the public story.

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Final confirmation

Please review your answers before submitting. After submission, we will email you your unique story reference and a secure link to a private copy of your complete submission. You can use that page to save or print your copy as PDF.

I confirm that this is my story, or that I have permission to submit it. *

• Yes

To the best of my knowledge, the information I provided is truthful. *

• Yes

I understand that submitting my story does not guarantee publication. *

• Yes

I understand that StopQueerDeportations may remove information that could endanger me or another person. *

• Yes

I have read and understand the Privacy Policy and how my personal data will be used. *

• Yes

Anything you would like to tell our team privately?

This field is for our team only and will never form part of the published story.

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