21 August 2021
On August 20 2021 three busses of LGBTI+ activists participating in the Copenhagen 2021 WorldPride & EuroGames drove from Copenhagen to Malmö to attend the Refugees, Borders & Immigration Summit during the Copenhagen 2021 Human Rights Forum.
At the border between Denmark and Sweden Swedish border patrol detained for more than two hours two activists originally from Uganda both having been granted legal asylum status in Germany and both carrying German identification papers accordingly.
Copenhagen 2021, LGBT + Denmark, and co-signatories are aware of the challenges and often discriminatory practices that refugees and black and indigenous migrants and migrants of color experience in cross-border situations.
Furthermore, Copenhagen 2021, LGBT + Denmark, and co-signatories are painfully aware of the emotional implications unwarranted detention has on members of the LGBTI+ community with refugee status.
The Malmö team of Copenhagen 2021 is working with Swedish authorities to find out what happened and to ensure that it does not happen again.
Copenhagen 2021, LGBT + Denmark and co-signatories call on all European border patrol authorities to review border patrol practices in order to systematically address and prevent instances of unwarranted detention and racial profiling.
Copenhagen 2021, LGBT + Denmark and co-signatories call on all European authorities to ensure that the rights of refugees and black and indigenous migrants and migrants of color are being observed – especially pertaining to freedom of movement within the EU and the Schengen area.
See the full list of signatories on the LGBT + Denmark website.
Update – 9 October 2021
A report compiled by Malmö Pride and submitted to the office of the UN SOGIE Independent Expert can be found here.
Image: Jens Jensen / Øresundbron