Our Work

Founded in 2000, Rainbow Refugee was the first organization in Canada established to support individuals seeking refugee protection due to persecution based on sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, sex characteristics (SOGIESC), and/or HIV status.

Programs and Services

1. Inland Support Program
Rainbow Refugee provides coordinated support to LGBTQIA+ refugee claimants residing in British Columbia through:

• •Facilitated peer support and accompaniment

• •Legal education and referrals

• •Knowledge-sharing workshops that strengthen community safety and access to services

• •Collaboration with settlement organizations to ensure LGBTQIA+ inclusive supports

2. Time to Thrive Program
Time to Thrive offers psychosocial and practical assistance to LGBTQIA+ refugee claimants, protected persons, and other newcomers. Services include:

• •One-on-one and group support sessions

• •Navigation of healthcare and housing systems

• •In-house counselling and direct aid

• •Housing advocacy and support

• •Social events that foster connection and a sense of belonging

3. Private Sponsorship Stream
Rainbow Refugee supports LGBTQIA+ refugees seeking resettlement to Canada through a community-based sponsorship approach. We:

• •Facilitate sponsorships in collaboration with LGBTQIA+ Canadians under the Rainbow Refugee Assistance Program (RRAP), a national partnership with Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC)

• •Coordinate local sponsorship efforts using our Circles of Hope model, in which trained community groups provide holistic pre-arrival, arrival, and post-arrival support for the refugee’s first 12 months in Vancouver

• •Provide training and guidance to sponsors to ensure ethical, affirming, and sustainable support

Education and Capacity Building

Rainbow Refugee delivers educational workshops and professional development sessions to community groups, service providers, and institutions at the local, provincial, and national levels. Our outreach efforts:

• •Build organizational capacity to support LGBTQIA+ refugees

• •Offer practical tools for trauma-informed and culturally responsive service delivery

• •Raise awareness of SOGIESC-related persecution and migration pathways

National Advocacy

Rainbow Refugee leads the From Borders to Belonging coalition, a national alliance of organizations supporting LGBTQIA+ refugees across Canada.

The coalition serves as a strategic advisor to IRCC on policy and program development impacting LGBTQIA+ refugees, bringing lived experience and frontline knowledge to federal decision-making.