Europe

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As countries tighten anti-gay laws, more LGBTQ+ migrants seek asylum in Europe   Most European countries don’t keep statistics on the number of migrants who claim anti-LGBTQ+ persecution as a reason for seeking refugee protection under international law. But non-governmental organizations that track the phenomenon say the numbers are rising as countries pass or toughen anti-homosexuality laws. Read more.

Why this matters: To date, more than 60 countries have anti-LGBTQ+ laws on the books, most of them in Africa, the Middle East and parts of Asia. “The ultimate result is people trying to flee these countries to find safe haven elsewhere,” said Kimahli Powell, chief executive of Rainbow Railroad, which provides support to LGBTQ+ people in need of asylum assistance.   The process is by no means easy, straightforward or guaranteed. Social taboos around openly identifying as gay or transgender mean some migrants might not volunteer the information easily and ignorance on the part of asylum interviewers about anti-gay laws in countries of origin can also result in unsuccessful claims, according to the EU Agency for Asylum.

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Death toll rises as flooding forces mass evacuations across Central Europe The death toll in Central European countries has been rising after days of heavy rains caused widespread flooding and forced evacuations. Read more.

Key points: The floods have claimed six lives in Romania, and one each in Austria and Poland. In the Czech Republic, four people who were swept away by waters were missing, police said. “We have to focus on saving lives,” Prime Minister Petr Fiala told Czech public television on Sunday. The worst “is not behind us yet,” he warned. His government was set to meet Monday to assess the damages.   The region’s weather changed following a hot start to September. Scientists have documented the summer as the Earth’s hottest, breaking a record set just a year ago. A hotter atmosphere, driven by human-caused climate change, can lead to more intense rainfall.

RELATED COVERAGE ➤ Strongest typhoon since 1949 hits Shanghai and knocks out power to some homes   Weekend progress made against Southern California wildfires   UN official highlights how better preparation has shrunk disaster deaths despite worsening climate