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2018


Casabierta


Costa Rica


Ongoing

Long-term support to LGBTQ-migrants in Costa Rica

 

Since 2018, Regnbågsfonden has supported Casabierta that helps LGBTQI people who come to Costa Rica after fleeing their home countries after direct threats to their lives due to their sexual orientation and/or political activism in defence of human rights.

With the help of the Regnbågsfonden, there is now a specialized center for LGBTQI migrants from the region in Costa Rica. The center provides legal advice, information, psychological support, help with basic medicines and food.

Why Costa Rica?


Since the 80’s, Costa Rica has received thousands of migrants fleeing various forms of violence and violations of fundamental human rights in neighboring countries.

Costa Rica is particularly meaningful as a safe place for LGBTQ people. In the 80s and 90s, LGBTQ people were murdered when paramilitary groups were established in countries as Honduras, El Salvador and Guatemala. The persecutions in the 21st century were exacerbated by gangs, known as Las Maras, who made LGBTQ people special targets.

After the recent persecutions in Nicaragua, the number of Nicaraguans who fled to Costa Rica has increased exponentially. There are currently around 6,000 Nicaraguan LGBTQ refugees in the country.