Unseen and Under Siege: What’s Next for Queer Lives in the MENA Region? (Analysis)

LGBTQIA+ communities in the MENA region have long been the subject of headlines and news reports. From having their basic rights publicly debated to experiencing multiple forms of discrimination for their mere existence, queer individuals residing in such countries have often found themselves under scrutiny or even attack. Given its longstanding, complex history characterized by patterns of legal and social repression of LGBTQIA+ individuals, the MENA region, whose political scene is largely influenced by conservative views and traditional values, has sparked heated conversation about the extent to which it has become particularly hostile for queer communities.

The last shipwreck of a migrant boat near Greece questions, once again, the responsibilities between the two shores in the Mediterranean

On the 14th of June, a boat carrying 750 people capsized off the Greek coast, in the deepest part of the Mediterranean Sea, while trying to reach Italy. If both European and North African governments still approach irregular migration as a security concern, how does this influence international policies in addressing effectively the issue?

Twelve years after the Jasmine Revolution, new turmoils shake Tunisia 

Even if Tunisia is referred as the only country where the Arab Revolution actually bore the establishment of democracy, social and political unrest have today become dreadfully commonplace. The autocratic takeover of President Saied threatens to jeopardize the already difficult path to stability and peace.