• • Challenging exclusionary immigration policies, beginning with co-founder Chris Morrissey's legal fight to recognize same-sex partnerships in Canadian immigration law.
• • Contributing to Guideline 9, which instructs decision-makers to recognize SOGIESC-based persecution in refugee claims.
• • Developing inclusive sponsorship pathways, leading to the creation of the Rainbow Refugee Assistance Partnership (RRAP) in 2011.
• • Advocating internationally, including at the UNHCR, Canadian Parliament, and through global refugee rights coalitions.
• • Raising the voices of LGBTQIA+ people in unsafe regions, calling for international resettlement and protection programs.

Co-chaired by Rainbow Refugee, From Borders to Belonging is a national advocacy initiative that brings together LGBTQIA+ refugee-led groups, legal advocates, frontline organizations, and researchers to confront the systemic barriers facing LGBTQIA+ refugee claimants in Canada.

The project:

• • Documents experiences of claimants navigating the refugee system
• • Identifies obstacles in housing, legal support, healthcare, and safety
• • Highlights the impacts of racism, homophobia, and transphobia
• • Offers policy recommendations and advocacy tools for change

Through regional dialogues and collaborative research, the project supports:

• • Trauma-informed, culturally responsive sponsorship
• • Training for legal professionals and volunteers
• • Policy development informed by lived experience
• • Ongoing public education and community mobilization

This work continues to shape national advocacy efforts, ensuring LGBTQIA+ claimants are not only welcomed—but supported on their journey to safety, belonging, and dignity.

Learn More

Rainbow Refugee contributes to community-based research that centers LGBTQIA+ refugees and newcomers. We only engage in projects that are respectful, participatory, and lead to tangible benefits for the people we serve.

Research projects we’ve contributed to:

• Supporting LGBTQI+ Refugees: Funded by Women and Gender Equality Canada (WAGE) This project explored trauma-informed, gender-inclusive sponsorship practices. Findings now guide Circle of Hope training and support programs for LGBTQIA+ newcomers.

• Equitable Access to Education: This collaborative study addressed the barriers refugee claimants and protected persons face in accessing post-secondary education. It advocates for changes in tuition eligibility, funding, and institutional supports.

• Community Resource Handbook Data Package: Based on local research with LGBTQIA+ newcomers, this initiative mapped trusted services in Vancouver and informed the development of a practical resource handbook to support Circle members and staff with referrals in housing, health, legal, and community care.

Rainbow Refugee’s advocacy and research have had lasting effects on Canadian immigration policy and have inspired community sponsorship models worldwide. The Rainbow Refugee Assistance Partnership (RRAP) is now recognized internationally as a best practice for resettling LGBTQIA+ people at risk.

Our work has been cited by:

• • The UNHCR, in global guidance on SOGIESC-based asylum claims
• • The Canadian Council for Refugees
• • Policy-makers, researchers, and global advocates for LGBTQIA+ rights

Read our submission to Parliament on Bill C-11

We remain committed to building more just, inclusive migration systems—grounded in dignity, community care, and the leadership of LGBTQIA+ people with lived experience of forced displacement.