LGBTQI+ refugees
On social media
Canada has a proud history of providing protection to and helping resettle those most in need. That includes those in the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, and additional sexually and gender diverse (LGBTQI+)Footnote * community.
Resettlement program
People who are persecuted because of their sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression and sex characteristics (SOGIESC) are generally identified or referred to Canada by
- the United Nations Refugee Agency
- Rainbow Railroad
- other referral organizations
- private sponsors
- Rainbow Refugee Assistance Partnership
LGBTQI+ people resettled to Canada come through either the
- Government-Assisted Refugees Program
- Private Sponsorship of Refugees Program
- Blended Visa Office-Referred (BVOR) Program
Government-Assisted Refugees Program
The UNHCR, Rainbow Railroad and other referral organizations can identify and refer LGBTQI+ refugees to be resettled under the Government-Assisted Refugees Program.
Refugees resettled under this program get 12 months of income and settlement support through the Resettlement Assistance Program.
Privates sponsorship of refugees
Private sponsors can identify LGBTQI+ refugees for resettlement. Refugees resettled under the Private Sponsorship of Refugees Program get 12 months of income and settlement support from their private sponsor.
We encourage refugee sponsorship organizations, as well as organizations across the country that support two‑spirit, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex and additional sexually and gender diverse (2SLGBTQI+) people to privately sponsor refugees who face violence and persecution. This includes those persecuted based on SOGIESC.
Rainbow Refugee Assistance Partnership
We’ve renewed our partnership
Our partnership with the Rainbow Refugee Society has been extended for another 5 years, until the end of 2029.
We’ve partnered with the Rainbow Refugee Society to help Canadians sponsor up to 50 LGBTQI+ refugees in need of resettlement each year. The Government of Canada provides start-up costs and the first 3 months of income support. Private sponsors provide 9 months of income and other vital supports. Together, this support helps LGBTQI+ refugee newcomers start their lives in Canada.
Since this initiative began in 2011, the partnership has worked with over 60 organizations and, as a result, Canada has welcomed more than 330 refugees.
Afghanistan humanitarian program
In 2021, Canada was among the first countries to launch a special humanitarian resettlement program for vulnerable Afghans, including LGBTQI+ refugees.
We expanded the Rainbow Refugee Assistance Partnership in response to the Afghanistan crisis. It provides 150 more spaces for Afghan LGBTQI+ refugees between 2022 and 2024.
Capacity building under the Private Sponsorship of Refugees Program
As part of capacity-building funding for the Private Sponsorship of Refugees Program, Canada supported the National Network for Enhancing LGBTQI+ Refugee Sponsorship project from 2022 to 2023. This project aimed to improve the settlement experiences of LGBTQI+ refugee newcomers in Canada.
From Borders to Belonging, a group bringing together organizations from across Canada, managed the development, delivery and evaluation of needed training, resources and tools for this project.
Settlement supports
We fund more than 500 settlement service provider organizations (SPOs) across Canada to
- deliver pre- and post-arrival settlement services
- help newcomers settle and become part of Canadian society
Support for LGBTQI+ immigrants and refugees include
- assessing needs and referring for support
- information and orientation
- job and training services
- language training
- community connections
To help refugees access these services, we also provide
- transportation
- help for people with disabilities
- translation/interpretation for immediate settlement needs
- child care
- short-term counselling
In-Canada asylum program
As part of the in-Canada asylum program, people facing persecution in their home country because of their SOGIESC can seek refugee protection in Canada.
To support this inclusive system, the Immigration and Refugee Board (IRB), which determines refugee status, has put guidelines in place to promote greater understanding of asylum cases involving SOGIESC, as well as barriers a person may face due to social nonconformity.
These guidelines include
- Gender Considerations in Proceedings before the IRB
- Proceedings before the IRB Involving Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity and Expression, and Sex Characteristics
Other ways we support LGBTQI+ refugees
Canada also worked with the 2SLGBTQI+ community to point out and take concrete actions to address discrimination.
In November 2020, we updated our sex and gender identifier policy to let refugee claimants change the sex or gender identifier on their Refugee Protection Claimant Document. This document is
- issued to in-Canada refugee claimants once their claim is referred to the IRB
- used both to confirm identity and when applying for some provincial benefits
Follow @freetobeme_ca, the Government of Canada’s Twitter account on LGBTQI+, and use the hashtag #FreeToBeMe on any posts related to gender and sexual diversity and other LGBTQI+ issues.
Page details
- Date modified: