Question Period Note: LGBTQI+ REFUGEES

Canada’s Resettlement of LGBTQI+ Refugees

• Canada has a proud history of protecting and resettling those who are the most in need of resettlement, including lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, queer, and intersex (LGBTQI+) refugees and their families.
• Canada continues to work closely with the LGBTQI+ community in Canada, including Rainbow Railroad, to help more at-risk LGBTQI+ individuals and their families come to Canada as government-assisted refugees.
• This new partnership is in addition to LGBTQI+ refugees referred to us by the United Nations Refugee Agency.
• Canada also supports LGBTQI+ refugees through the Rainbow Refugee Assistance Partnership, which assists Canadians and permanent residents in privately sponsoring LGBTQI+ refugees fleeing violence and persecution.
• These initiatives are part of Canada’s ongoing and significant efforts to provide protection to LGBTQI+ and other vulnerable people around the world.

LGBTQI+ Refugees

• Individuals in a number of countries around the world experience serious human rights abuses and other forms of persecution due to their actual or perceived sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, or sex characteristics (SOGIESC pronounced SOJEE-ESK).

• Individuals fleeing persecution for reasons related to their SOGIESC can qualify as refugees under the 1951 Convention, specifically as members of a particular social group. In addition to being a reason for persecution under the Convention, SOGIESC can also be an added layer of vulnerability for refugees who fled due to persecution under other grounds.

• For privacy and other reasons, IRCC does not systematically track information on refugees’ SOGIESC or specific reasons for their persecution, nor does it collect data on their ethnicity or religion.

• IRCC relies primarily on the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR), as well as other recognized referral organizations and private sponsors, to identify and refer individuals in need of resettlement, including those who have been persecuted on the basis of their SOGIESC.

• Unfortunately, many LGBTQI+ refugees are hesitant to apply for protection due to fear of facing additional persecution. Further, when they do register, they may be unwilling to disclose the nature of their persecution due to ongoing fears for their safety that may be present in their country of asylum.

• Canadian migration officers will assess a resettlement applicant’s vulnerability in their country of asylum to determine if the applicant requires expedited processing. This may include individuals whose legal or physical safety is at risk due to their SOGIESC.

Partnership with Rainbow Railroad

• Since 2017, the Department has engaged with Rainbow Railroad, an organization based in Canada and the U.S., that focuses on advocacy and helping LGBTQI+ individuals who seek safe haven from state-sponsored or enabled violence through a coalition: From Borders to Belonging. This coalition is made up of LGBTQI+ refugee organizations and individuals across Canada who champion LGBTQI+ refugee rights, protection, and settlement.

• Rainbow Railroad has also been a constituent group on various refugee sponsorship cases in the Private Sponsorship of Refugees (PSR) program, and has participated in identifying applicants to the Department in the context of public policies developed in response to the Afghanistan crisis.

• Beginning in 2023, Rainbow Railroad will identify LGBTQI+ refugees for referral under the Government-Assisted Refugees Program. As a referral partner, Rainbow Railroad will help increase the number of LGBTQI+ refugees and their families being resettled to Canada overall, as it will be in addition to the LGBTQI+ refugees referred by the UN Refugee Agency. This will also provide an example for other resettlement countries who are seeking to provide additional protection for the LGBTQI+ community.

Rainbow Refugee Assistance Partnership

• Refugee sponsorship organizations, as well as LGBTQI+ organizations across the country, are encouraged to privately sponsor refugees who face violence and persecution, including due to their SOGIESC.

• In March 2011, IRCC entered into an agreement with the Vancouver-based Rainbow Refugee Society, a major partner in the PSR program, in cooperation with Sponsorship Agreement Holders (SAHs), to resettle LGBTQI+ refugees.

• In 2019, this agreement was expanded through the Rainbow Refugee Assistance Partnership, increasing the number of privately sponsored refugees from 15 to 50 refugees per year, between 2020 and 2024.

• Under this partnership, the Government of Canada provides start-up expenses and 3 months of Resettlement Assistance Program (RAP) income support for each privately sponsored refugee case. The monthly income support for the remaining nine months of the sponsorship is provided by the sponsoring group.

• Dedicated spaces have been added in response to the Afghanistan crisis as well as to support the Department’s [REDACTED]

• As of August 15, 2023, 244 refugees have arrived through this initiative with the Rainbow Refugee Society. The Rainbow Refugee Society has worked with over 50 sponsorship groups and 10 SAHs in these efforts. These totals include all agreements between IRCC and the Rainbow Refugee Society since March 2011.

Afghanistan Humanitarian Program

• In 2021, Canada was among the first countries to have launched a special humanitarian resettlement program for vulnerable Afghans, including LGBTQI+ refugees. As part of this program, the U.S. Government has referred LGBTQI+ refugee cases identified by the Rainbow Railroad.

• Recently, IRCC has also engaged with a range of stakeholders, including Rainbow Railroad, to help facilitate the resettlement of specific groups or individuals facing extraordinary circumstances, including additional LGBTQI+ Afghan refugees.

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