People with marginalised Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity, Expression, and Sex Characteristics (SOGIESC) who are forcibly displaced face a disproportionately high risk of human trafficking. However, this intersection is neglected in both research and the asylum procedure. Data collected by Fenix Humanitarian Legal Aid reveals that over one in five displaced SOGIESC clients have experienced trafficking, with the vast majority being subjected to sexual exploitation or violence.

Drawing on first-hand client experiences, common themes in the lives of survivors of trafficking who have marginalised SOGIESC are examined. From compelled concealment and violent persecution, to exploitation and captivity; individuals from this group are consistently subjected to severe and sustained trauma right up until they arrive in Greece.

Despite legal provisions under the Asylum Code requiring vulnerability assessments and special procedural safeguards for survivors of trafficking, the Greek asylum system routinely fails to implement measures to identify or protect them. Credibility in asylum interviews is assessed based on the detail and consistency of a testimony; criteria which are fundamentally at odds with the impact of trauma. As a result, some of the most vulnerable applicants for asylum are being systematically denied international protection.

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Content Warning: Discussions of violence, sexual violence and anti-LGBTQI+ rhetoric.