The project aimed to enhance the capacity of professionals operating in the social and adult education sectors (adu) to address the needs of LGBTQIA+ migrants, refugees, and asylum seekers (MRA), thereby tackling inequalities and discrimination. The primary goal was to equip professionals with educational tools and material, specifically the multilingual protocol of actions (a7) and specialized training, to identify and prevent discrimination incidents and provide support to victimized individuals. QOTM sought to counter the "double stigma" (xenophobia and homo/transphobia) and victimization, ensuring the asylum system fully recognizes the human rights and dignity of lgbtqia+ people. By delivering transnational training (a4) and online workshops (a5), the project intended to establish a permanent "community of practice" among staff, fostering mutual learning and pushing for procedural reforms. Ultimately, the objectives included improving the inclusiveness of local services, diminishing social and legal rejection, enhancing queer migrants' sense of security and trust in support structures. A secondary goal involved supporting social inclusion of lgbtqia+ refugees and establishing a transnational network of support organizations.
The QOTM project originated from the need to address the double vulnerability and intersectional discrimination suffered by lgbtqia+ migrants, a high-risk subgroup susceptible to trauma. The research, conducted through the collaboration of the three core founding partners: Liberitutti scs (italy), Symplexis (greece), and Asociația Geo club (Romania), empirically highlighted the critical issues and challenges faced by this community. Field research revealed a significant structural misalignment between law and practice, with inadequate reception practices often leading to cumulative trauma for asylum seekers. professionals (operators and coordinators) in Italy, Greece, and Romania lacked specific guidelines, adequate training, and knowledge about the psychological and legal needs of this demographic group. The main goal was to address the lack of trained personnel to prevent multiple discrimination and provide adequate legal assistance and psychological support for a group that faces a double stigma (xenophobia and homo/transphobia). This gap in institutional readiness and expertise was acute across the Southern Mediterranean and Eastern European contexts, where social conservatism often clashes with progressive eu values.