Sponsor a Refugee

The From Borders to Belonging Coalition connects over 20 organizations and individuals across Canada who are actively engaged in the protection and support of LGBTQIA+ forcibly displaced persons. Our collective work is rooted in community-based care, equity-driven systems change, and advocacy grounded in lived experience.

The Coalition emerged from national organizing that helped launch and expand the Rainbow Refugee Assistance Program (RRAP), and it now serves as a hub for coordination, capacity-building, and cross-sectoral action.

About the RRAP and its impact:

1. •Expanding Sponsorship Opportunities:
   Before RRAP, the Rainbow Refugee Assistance Pilot allowed only 15 privately sponsored LGBTQIA+ refugees per year.
2. •With RRAP’s launch in 2020, this number increased to 50 LGBTQIA+ refugees per year.
3. •This expansion enables more Canadians to sponsor refugees through private sponsorship groups such as Circles of Hope.

Government Commitment to LGBTQIA+ Refugees:

1. •The Canadian government has committed $800,000 over five years to support RRAP.
2. •This funding helps cover start-up costs and three months of income support for LGBTQIA+ refugees.
3. •Sponsorship groups, such as Circles of Hope, provide the remaining nine months of financial support and resettlement assistance.

Historical Impact and Growth:

1. •Between 2011 and April 2019, the pilot program resettled more than 80 LGBTQIA+ refugees.
2. •In 2018 alone, RRAP and the LGBTQIA+ community sponsored 67 refugees.

Why RRAP Matters Today

The Rainbow Refugee Assistance Partnership has played a crucial role in expanding sponsorship opportunities for LGBTQIA+ refugees. While RRAP remains a temporary initiative, it has now been extended until 2029, allowing even more refugees to find safety through privately sponsored groups like Circles of Hope. This partnership ensures that LGBTQIA+ refugees who might otherwise face systemic barriers to resettlement have a pathway to Canada with the support of dedicated sponsors.
Please learn more about the process here: https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/refugees/sponsor-refugee/private-sponsorship-program/how-we-process-applications.html

The Coalition was born out of advocacy and a recognition that our collective impact and ability to mobilize for change would be stronger together.

This included advocacy surrounding the Rainbow Refugee Assistance Pilot (RRAP). In 2011, The Canadian government introduced a cost-sharing pilot to create a new pathway for privately sponsored LGTBQIA+ refugees. This pilot initially had 15 spots per year.

From 2010 - 2013, future members of the Coalition, Rainbow Refugee Society (RRS) and AGIR worked together to strategize around how to bring queer perspectives into the national debate about the proposed “Protecting Canada’s Immigration System” This regressive overhaul of the refugee system used nationality as criteria to exclude potential refugees from fair hearings, and access to health care. Rainbow Refugee Society and AGIR collaborated to bring perspectives to parliamentary standing committees, media, and eventually successful federal court cases. This paved the way for future collaboration and coalition building.

In 2017, members of the soon-to-be-formed coalition came together to advocate within the LGBTQIA+ abroad at-risk consultation with the Immigration Standing Committee. This began as a study around the renewal of RRAP, but coalition members pushed for this to include other issues impacting LGBTQIA+ refugees, including border issues and ongoing crises causing displacement.

This advocacy work was successful, and the Rainbow Refugee Assistance Program was born in 2011, with spots available expanded to 50. Rainbow Refugee Society acts as the secretariat for this program. The success of this work led to a  recognition of an opportunity for increased collaboration, knowledge and resource sharing, and partnership across the country; the Rainbow Coalition for Refuge was born.

As government priorities have shifted between the 2010s to now and through to the future, our work as a coalition has shifted based on the support received and advocacy needed. Our coalition will work to remain flexible and responsive as we move forward , acknowledging that the landscape of our work can shift and change with political priorities.

In the years since, the Coalition has grown from a small Steering Committee consisting of 6 member organizations in 2018 to a Coalition connecting 24 members.

In 2023, the coalition rebranded and adopted a new name, "From Borders to Belonging."

The From Borders to Belonging Coalition offers a meaningful opportunity to contribute to collective efforts that protect LGBTQIA+ refugees and uphold their right to safety, dignity, and belonging. Joining the Coalition connects you to a national movement grounded in mutual support, advocacy, and solidarity.

• You support or advocate for LGBTQIA+ refugees, claimants, or forcibly displaced individuals and are seeking collaboration or shared infrastructure.
• You believe in creating timely, equitable, and safe pathways to protection and resettlement for LGBTQIA+ people at risk.
• You are committed to working through anti-oppressive, trauma-informed, and inclusive practices.
• You wish to support or lead community sponsorship groups that prioritize ethical, rights-based, and community-centered approaches.
• You are interested in contributing to national policy advocacy, knowledge exchange, or collective visioning.
• You seek to center the leadership, experiences, and perspectives of LGBTQIA+ refugees—especially Black, Indigenous, racialized, trans, gender-diverse, and language-minority individuals.
• You value building long-term, trust-based relationships across regions, sectors, and systems in the spirit of mutual accountability.

Joining the Coalition is not only a way to stay informed and engaged—it is a commitment to advancing equity, safety, and belonging for LGBTQIA+ people navigating displacement. Whether you are offering direct support, advancing research, mobilizing community, or shaping systems, your voice and your work are welcome.

Together, we can build stronger networks of care, shift policy through collective advocacy, and uphold the right to live freely, safely, and with dignity—across borders and beyond.

Coalition membership is open to individuals, grassroots collectives, and established organizations who share our commitment to LGBTQIA+ refugee protection and system transformation. Members may engage at varying levels depending on their capacity, and we welcome both seasoned actors and emerging voices in this field.

All members agree to uphold a set of well-being guidelines, which promote accessible, respectful, and inclusive engagement across the Coalition.

Download: Well-Being Guidelines for Coalition Engagement

Members of the Canadian coalition gain access to:

• Canada-wide learning and planning gatherings

• Bi-monthly advocacy mentorship meetings

• National consultations and program feedback opportunities

• Invitations to contribute to projects, proposals, and campaigns

• Timely updates on IRCC programs, policies, and funding opportunities

• A network of support rooted in ethical and inclusive sponsorship practice

Download: Coalition Membership Handbook

To join the Coalition, applicants must:

• Be based in Canada and aligned with the Coalition’s mission, values, and approach

• Work within or support one or more of the following areas:

  • Overseas LGBTQIA+ refugee protection

  • Refugee claims within Canada (inland protection)

  • Private sponsorship and resettlement

  • Post-arrival settlement, housing, or integration

• Include meaningful leadership or participation from LGBTQIA+ refugees or migrants

Sponsorship is more than just offering financial support—it is about creating community, inclusion, and solidarity, ensuring that no one has to navigate this transition alone.

Membership applications are reviewed monthly by the Coalition’s Membership & Governance Committee. Responses are generally provided within 4–6 weeks.

Apply to Join the Coalition

Structure

Participants

People who attend are apart of things, support, and engagers but aren’t members of LGBTQIA+ Newcomers and stakeholders.

Coalition Members

Groups or individuals who have applied and been accepted as members of the coalition. Members are able to participate in programming and advocacy committees and have access to resources and knowledge sharing of the coalition.

Steering Committee

The Steering Committee guides the direction and leadership of the Coalition through monthly meetings to synthesize decision-making priorities and to plan events, workshops, and learning opportunities.

The Steering Committee is currently composed of nine members:

• RRANS - Rainbow Refugee Association of Nova Scotia (Co-Chair)
• AGIR - Action LGBTQIA+ avec les ImmigrantEs et RéfugiéEs
• Capital Rainbow Refuge
• OCASI - Ontario Council of Agencies Serving Immigrants
• MCC Toronto - Metropolitan Community Church of Toronto 
• Rainbow Railroad 
• The 519
• End of the Rainbow Foundation 
• Rainbow Refugee Society (Co-Chair)

• Membership & Governance Committee: Reviews applications and supports internal structures.

• Advocacy Committee: Leads national advocacy and policy engagement with Canadian decision-makers.

• Programming Committee: Supports RRAP implementation and training in the Canadian sponsorship context.

• Trans & Gender Diverse Advisory Group: Offers guidance grounded in gender diversity and lived experience.

• Lived Experience Advisory Group: Centers LGBTQIA+ refugee perspectives across all Canadian regions, especially those often underrepresented.