Newcomers
Welcome to RFSL Newcomers — a group for LGBTQI people and refugees who are newly arrived in Sweden.
Our members come from all parts of the world. Many have fled their countries of origin because they cannot live openly as homosexuals, bisexuals or transgender.
Most Newcomers groups meet one or more times a week for joint activities such as outings, Swedish lessons or going to Pride festivals. Sometimes the groups are visited by RFSL’s asylum lawyers, who can help with applying for asylum.
Where to find us
There are Newcomers groups in several cities throughout Sweden. Here’s a list of all the groups, their phone numbers and email addresses.
Contact information for RFSL Newcomers groups
You can contact the group closest to you, or contact newcomers@rfsl.se and we will help you get in touch with a group.
Get involved
There are different ways to support RFSL Newcomers. As a volunteer, you can help organising activities, meetings and events. As a contact person to an LGBTQI refugee, you offer practical support such as contact with authorities or health services.
To get involved in RFSL Newcomers, you may contact your nearest RFSL branch or Newcomers group or send an email to newcomers@rfsl.se.
You can also support RFSL Newcomers by making a financial contribution.
You also support RFSL through your membership. As an asylum seeker your membership fee is reduced.
If you are seeking asylum
In the movie above, RFSL’s asylum lawyers and activists give some useful advice. You can read more about seeking asylum here.
RFSL also offers legal counselling in your asylum process. You can find contact details to our asylum counsellors here.
Did you experience harassment, threaths or violence?
RFSL’s Support Service can help. Då kan du få hjälp från RFSL:s stödmottagning. You find contact details for RFSL’s Support Service here.
More about Newcomers
RFSL Newcomers is a network for and with asylum-seeking, undocumented and newly arrived LGBTQI people. RFSL Newcomers offers activities, information and counseling in a safe space where our members get to meet others with a similar experience and are heard.
Newcomers was created because of a need for support and guidance among asylum-seeking and newly arrived LGBTQI people.
Our aim is to strengthen our members’ identities and voices by creating meeting spaces where they can share their experiences, make contacts and make friends.
Advocating asylum rights
Apart from offering social meeting spaces, RFSL works with advocacy on asylum issues by:
- influencing legal and political decisions regarding the situation for LGBTQI asylum seekers’
- working for equality and strengthened rights for LGBTQI asylum seekers and newly arrived LGBTQI people,
- informing about the current political and legal situation for LGBTQI asylum seekers in Sweden,
- increasing the knowledge about the problems, such as oppression, uncertainty and legal and social vulnerability that LGBTQI asylum seekers may experience, and
- being present in different asylum political contexts and cooperating with others who work with asylum and/or LGBTQI issues.
Contact Newcomers
E-mail national coordinator: newcomers@rfsl.se