For queer Ukrainian refugees, legal recognition shaped long-term settlement

Recognition of same-sex relationships mattered less for initial escape routes than for family security and belonging over time.

Editorial illustration — not from the study.

The study draws on interviews with LGBTQI+ Ukrainians who received temporary protection in EU member states, focusing on queer women and trans people who migrated with partners or children. It compares Austria and Germany, where same-sex relationships are legally recognised, with Poland and Slovakia, where they are not.

Existing social networks, safety and practical concerns usually shaped initial destinations. Over time, participants in countries with legal recognition described greater social legitimacy, institutional recognition and family security. Participants in Poland and Slovakia reported concealing relationships, greater economic precarity and continuing fears of discrimination.

Recognition and settlement

Legal recognition rarely determined participants’ initial destination. Instead, existing social networks, safety and practical considerations were more influential. Recognition became increasingly important for long-term settlement: in Austria and Germany, it supported social legitimacy, institutional recognition and family security. In Poland and Slovakia, participants described pressure to conceal relationships, greater economic precarity and persistent fears of discrimination despite receiving temporary protection.

The study also identifies difficulties for mixed-nationality couples, trans people and polyamorous families. Their experiences exposed limits in current refugee and family-migration rules, especially when legal definitions of family do not reflect their relationships.

Why legal status matters

The findings suggest that temporary protection alone does not determine whether queer refugees can build secure lives after displacement. Legal recognition affects how relationships and families are treated by institutions and understood in everyday life, making it part of how belonging, care and family legitimacy are negotiated during forced migration.

Evidence and caveats

The article is based on qualitative interviews with LGBTQI+ Ukrainians who received temporary protection in EU member states. It provides detailed accounts of migration choices and settlement experiences rather than a population-wide estimate of how common these experiences are. The abstract does not report the number of interviewees, and the comparison covers Austria, Germany, Poland and Slovakia, with particular attention to queer women and trans people who migrated with partners or children. The findings therefore may not represent all queer Ukrainian refugees or all EU member states.

// Source

Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies · 2026 · DOI: 10.1080/1369183x.2026.2708446

View paper (DOI)Published 2026-08-31

Authors: Maryna Shevtsova

Institutions: KU Leuven

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