From: Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n On May 10, 2017, in Ottawa, the government’s dedication to safeguarding LGBTQ2 rights was underscored. Canada has a longstanding tradition of offering refuge to the most vulnerable, particularly within the LGBTQ2 community.<\/p>\n The Honourable Ahmed Hussen, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, announced the renewal of a $50,000 cost-sharing agreement with the Rainbow Refugee Society (RRS), effective April 1, 2017. This Vancouver-based organization encourages Canadian LGBTQ2 communities to sponsor refugees facing persecution due to their sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, or HIV status.<\/p>\n Canada continues to collaborate with RRS, providing partial income support to LGBTQ2 refugees through the Resettlement Assistance Program. This funding covers initial expenses such as clothing and basic household items upon arrival, as well as partial income support for the first year.<\/p>\n RRS not only mentors sponsorship groups but also collaborates with Sponsorship Agreement Holders to facilitate these sponsorships. The sponsorship groups offer additional support, including accommodation, basic needs, and emotional support throughout the sponsorship period.<\/p>\n \u201cWe are very pleased to be continuing our partnership with the Rainbow Refugee Society. Our government will continue to encourage refugee sponsorship groups and LGBTQ2 organizations across the country to privately sponsor refugees from abroad who face violence and persecution due to their sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression or HIV status.\u201d<\/p>\n \u2013 The Honourable Ahmed Hussen, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n \u201cIt is critical that, in Canada, our government demonstrates leadership for people who are persecuted for their sexual orientation. When we honour the differences, identities, and genders of every individual, we are actively supporting rights and equality for all.\u201d<\/p>\n \u2013 Randy Boissonault, Special Advisor to the Prime Minister on LGBTQ2 Issues<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n \u201cRainbow Refugee is proud and honoured to continue working with IRCC to encourage Canadian communities to act in solidarity with LGBTQ2 and HIV+ refugees. Globally, LGBTQ2 and HIV+ persons face violent persecution. Canada has a vital role to play as a place of relative safety and respect for those who need to flee sexual orientation, gender or HIV based persecution.\u201d<\/p>\n \u2013 Chris Morrissey (Founder) and Sharalyn Jordan (Chair) Rainbow Refugee Society<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n Media Contacts Only<\/strong><\/p>\n Bernie Derrible Media Relations Chris Morrissey Sharalyn Jordan The RRS is a Vancouver-based organization that helps Canadian LGBTQ2 communities sponsor refugees facing persecution due to their sexual orientation or gender identity.<\/p>\n The agreement provides initial financial support for refugees, covering essentials like clothing and basic household needs upon their arrival in Canada.<\/p>\n Through the Resettlement Assistance Program, the government offers partial income support to privately sponsored LGBTQ2 refugees.<\/p>\n In 2017, Canada planned to welcome 16,000 privately sponsored refugees, significantly increasing the numbers from previous years.<\/p>\n The Secretariat, proposed in Budget 2017, aims to support and coordinate government initiatives on LGBTQ2 issues.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" May 10, 2017 \u2013 Ottawa, ON \u2013 The Government is committed to protecting the rights of LGBTQ2 individuals, and has a long history of providing protection to the world\u2019s most vulnerable groups, including persons in the LGBTQ2 community. … <\/i>Read More<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":5986,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[89],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5988","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-immigration"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/applytocanada.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5988","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/applytocanada.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/applytocanada.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/applytocanada.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/applytocanada.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5988"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/applytocanada.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5988\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/applytocanada.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5986"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/applytocanada.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5988"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/applytocanada.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5988"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/applytocanada.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5988"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}Commitment to LGBTQ2 Rights<\/h2>\n
Supportive Measures for Refugees<\/h3>\n
Voices of Support<\/h2>\n
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Important Information<\/h2>\n
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Associated Links<\/h2>\n
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Contact Information<\/h2>\n
<\/strong>Minister\u2019s Office
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada
613-954-1064<\/p>\n
<\/strong>Communications Branch
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada
613-952-1650
CIC-Media-Relations@cic.gc.ca<\/a><\/p>\n
<\/strong>RRS Founder and Sponsorship Lead
sponsorship@rainbowrefugee.ca<\/a><\/p>\n
<\/strong>RRS Chair and Inland\/Settlement Lead
board@rainbowrefugee.ca<\/a><\/p>\nFAQs About LGBTQ2 Refugee Support<\/h2>\n
What is the Rainbow Refugee Society (RRS)?<\/h3>\n
How does the cost-sharing agreement benefit refugees?<\/h3>\n
What role does the Canadian government play in this initiative?<\/h3>\n
What was the target for privately sponsored refugees in 2017?<\/h3>\n
What is the purpose of the LGBTQ2 Secretariat?<\/h3>\n