A charity founded in Canada to help queer refugees says it has seen a significant 80 per cent increase in requests for help between 2021 and 2023, according to a new report released in time for World Refugee Day.
The international day, which falls on June 20, honours people around the world who have been forced to flee their countries to escape conflict or persecution. The United Nations (UN) says there are 114 million refugees worldwide, a record high. For comparison, Canada’s population was over 41 million as of Apr. 1.
Ahead of World Refugee Day, global charity Rainbow Railroad released results from its report detailing the state of global LGBTQI+ persecution.
“These are countries that criminalize people because of their LGBTQI+ identity. Some of these countries also criminalize human rights defenders who advocate on behalf of the LGBTQI+ population,” Latoya Nugent, Rainbow Railroad’s head of engagement, told Queer & Now.
According to U.K. non-profit the Human Dignity Trust, there are 64 countries around the world criminalizing private, consensual, same-sex sexual activity, while 14 jurisdictions criminalize “the gender identity and/or expression of transgender people.”
Founded in 2006, Rainbow Railroad has humble beginnings as a Canadian volunteer based organization. Since then, it has grown to be a registered charity based in both Canada and the United States, with around 60 employees.
Rainbow Railroad reports that requests for help from queer refugees have increased massively since 2021, jumping from 8,506 to a jaw-dropping 15,352 in 2023. In 2023 the top 10 countries the charity received requests for help from were:
- Pakistan
- Afghanistan
- United States
- Uganda
- Kenya
- Turkiye
- Nigeria
- Morocco
- Russia
- Egypt
“Last year, we noticed that we were seeing an increase in the number of people located in the United States reaching out to us for support, and this is largely we realized… because of the kind of anti-gender movement that we’re seeing in some parts of the U.S., as well as the anti-trans legislation and the reversal of Roe v. Wade,” Nugent explained. “Which got a lot of people worried, concerned about what that could potentially mean for LGBTQIA people.”
“The situation in the U.S. reminds me of the Underground Railroad, you know, which is where we got the name Rainbow Railroad.”
RELOCATING TO CANADA
Rainbow Railroad has worked with the Canadian government to help secure a place in Canada for 2SLGBTQ+ claimants. For example, on June 8, 2023, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced a partnership with Rainbow Railroad to directly refer at-risk 2SLGBTQ+ refugees through the Government-Assisted Refugees Program.
Nugent says the charity helped 311 people relocate to Canada in 2023.
“We don’t want people to be refugees, but it is a reality of our society,” Nugent, who relocated to Canada and made an inland asylum claim in 2022, shared.
“A lot of people here in Canada who identify as 2SLGBTQI+ are able to live with dignity. You know, they have community. They feel like they belong. They can affirm who they are, and we want to extend that to 2SLGBTQI+ refugees who are forced to relocate here,” she continued, emphasizing the importance of finding a sense of home and belonging for those who have lived through intense trauma.
SUPPORT ON THE GROUND
Rainbow Railroad also provides services in the home countries of at-risk people who are unable to relocate.
“Some people are what we call internally displaced, meaning they are not able, because of passport immobility and other issues, to cross international borders and access resettlement pathways,” she explained.
The organization is able to provide support on the ground through various resources including cash assistance and working with local organizations.
“In Uganda, for example, last year, when the anti-homosexuality bill came into law, we saw widespread state-sanctioned homophobia taking shape in that country, which resulted in an increase in the number of people who were detained or unlawfully arrested,” she explained, adding that Rainbow Railroad was able to help by providing support through local organizations in these countries.
Rainbow Railroad reports receiving more than 15,300 requests for aid in 2023, and was able to help 7,265 at-risk 2SLGBTQ+ individuals around the world, marking a notable increase from the 9,591 requests received in 2022, and 8,506 requests in 2021. So far this year, 5,996 people have requested support from the organization.
BARRIERS FACING REFUGEES
Nugent explained that there are many barriers facing refugees, including financial restraints, language barriers, legal challenges, and discrimination.
“Remember that people are being displaced not only because of LGBTQ+ persecution, but [also for] war, violence, and climate disaster,” she explained. “So when LGBTQ+ people access these refugee camps, within those camps, they sometimes experience the same kind of violence and persecution that they would have experienced in their home country because of their LGBTQ+ identity and within the system.”
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Nugent says there are also many types of stigma perpetuated about refugee claimants, including the ongoing barrier of racism.
“Most times refugees are people of colour and we see sometimes that there’s a difference between how, you know, developed countries may respond to refugees who come from certain countries or certain parts of the world.
“So, the negative narratives about refugees, we believe, [are] usually steeped in xenophobic ideas.”
Nugent explained that while refugees may need additional support from charities and government programs upon arrival, they often contribute back to society in a large way.
“We’ve seen in Canada, for example, that refugees have one of the highest tax compliance rates. Or [often] they become entrepreneurs and really make significant contributions to Canadian society.”
“Someone who becomes a refugee does not become a refugee by choice. It’s something that’s forced upon them, that’s imposed on them, and so really, what we ask people to do is to value the humanity and respect the rights of individuals,” Nugent said.
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Nugent shared that Rainbow Railroad is always looking for volunteers and donations. Those interested in learning more can do so through their website.
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