Evidence of meeting #61 for Citizenship and Immigration in the 42nd Parliament, 1st session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was individuals.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Liberal
Randy Boissonnault Liberal Edmonton Centre, AB
I'm going to follow up on that piece, then. We can take the conversation of magnitude offline, and that applies to Michael, to you, Janet, as well, and other partners.
What do we need to do to stimulate more response on the private sponsorship side, more communities, and particularly across the country, not only in Toronto or Montreal, or even large centres like Vancouver, but other centres? What are you seeing? Then I'm going to ask Michael for an answer to the same question.
Executive Director, Rainbow Railroad
As I said before during my testimony, we're receiving these requests from across the country. I think a program from the government would send a signal that this program is important and that people would start their fundraising efforts. We're also in a position to have more resources than capacity, so we want to encourage sponsorship across the country. If the government wants to be a partner with us, we are willing to help connect individuals and funders to help small communities across the country, and trans communities and people of colour, raise funds to sponsor individuals.
Liberal
Randy Boissonnault Liberal Edmonton Centre, AB
Thanks.
Michael, in your expertise across the west and in the Prairies, what's the appetite and the ability for the community to step up with private sponsorship to support LGBTQ refugees coming to the west?
Executive Director, Rainbow Resource Centre
Since 2012, Reaching Out Winnipeg, which is our local sponsorship organization, has brought seven LGBTQ refugees into the community. They're all well settled, as far as we know from the updates we've received. One of the sponsorships did receive direct funding through Rainbow Refugee to help cover the cost for one of those people. There is definitely an appetite to continue sponsorship, and we are seeing a response from our community. I think from our end it's kind of twofold, because we want to see folks settling folks here, doing private sponsorships, but also making sure that we have the capacities we need in order to do proper settlement into LGBTQ communities. As I mentioned, some of the nuances around settling LGBT folks are different than might be found in a traditional settlement service agency.
Liberal
Randy Boissonnault Liberal Edmonton Centre, AB
Absolutely.
Janet, what's your experience with PSRs and the response from the Vancouver community? Is there more capacity there?
Representative, LEGIT Vancouver
Absolutely, there's more capacity. There's a lot of interest. In fact, I'm involved with a group, and we're just gathering people to sponsor a couple. That's what we look to do.
I know that Rainbow Refugees has been active for a number of years now, well over a decade. I know they're interested in continuing the work they do. They have a great reputation here, and they have a firm commitment to continue the work they're doing.
Liberal
Randy Boissonnault Liberal Edmonton Centre, AB
Excellent.
With the minute I have left, Mr. Chair, I want to refer colleagues to an important medical journal, The Lancet, that released on Friday a landmark series of studies on the trans community, estimating the trans population globally to be about 25 million, and the systematic persecution and denial of everything from basic human rights to health services. This is the first time this medical journal has done this.
Kimahli, could you just share, with the time that remains for me, some of the elements you'd like to see us as a federal government consider in the strategy to support vulnerable persons?
Executive Director, Rainbow Railroad
Yes. Obviously we're here to support the RRAP. It's really important that this program continue, as it's one of the main priorities for this for sponsorship across the country. We are also very much engaged with the immediate escape of individuals facing persecution.
Executive Director, Rainbow Railroad
We're hoping for a response from the government that will allow for the immediate entry into Canada for people who are persecuted.
Liberal
Conservative
Michelle Rempel Conservative Calgary Nose Hill, AB
I want to start by saying thank you to all of the witnesses for all the work you've done. I think the work that's been done in your organizations has set Canada apart in terms of really showing what it means to stand up for LGBTQ rights in a very meaningful way. I think you're going to see cross-partisan support for an ongoing program that can sustain some of the efforts you are looking at.
I want to ask two questions. I've summarized some of the feedback I've heard in testimony to date, and I want to see if you agree with the synthesis of those recommendations. Then I want to ask a very pointed question. I'll put everything out at once, for the sake of time.
What I have so far, in terms of recommendations, is: that IRCC formalize the RRAP into a regular program with long-term funding; that IRCC streamline the application for LGBTQ refugees who apply through the RRAP and limit the processing timeline to no more than 18 months; that IRCC ensure that refugees brought in under the RRAP remain outside of the SAH quotas and that they do not affect nor are affected by the government's other refugee initiatives; that the government commit to defending LGBTQ rights on the world stage and use diplomatic channels to work towards eliminating institutionalized homophobia and transphobia; that IRCC encourage advanced training for the UNHCR and Canadian immigration officials and review intake procedures in order to identify institutionalized discrimination; that IRCC partner with civil society organizations in refugees' home countries and countries of first asylum in order to identify, assess, and process LGBTQ+ refugees; and that IRCC institute sexual orientation and gender identity analysis of its existing procedures and create quantitative evaluation criteria specific to the goals of the rainbow refugee assistance program, including a measure to track the number of LGBTQ+ refugees Canada is accepting each year.
That's what I have to date, and I'll close with a question.
I've heard this, and I just want to get this on the record. In terms of transphobia, some people have said that people will claim asylum in Canada and they will fake their gender identity or persecution on sexuality. I think that's probably not the case, but I'd like to also give you an opportunity to speak to it so that we can put that on the record in this report.
The floor is yours, whoever wants to start.
Executive Director, Rainbow Railroad
Sure. I'll start. Thank you.
That's a pretty good summary, better than my testimony, so thank you for that.
Conservative
Michelle Rempel Conservative Calgary Nose Hill, AB
It's what we do. We actually try to do something that resembles work once in a while, occasionally.
Executive Director, Rainbow Railroad
It's a great summary. Thank you.
I mentioned in my testimony that we received 700 requests last year. All of them are pretty heartbreaking. We go through a pretty extensive verification process that includes reaching out to individuals on the ground. As a board member of the international lesbian and gay association, we have deep-rooted contacts.
The understanding of the individuals we support, understanding their situation, is a real part of the process. In terms of the individuals we are helping, we have not, so far as I know, heard instances of people who have misled us about their orientation. These are deeply persecuted people who are fleeing risk and need our help based on their sexual orientation and gender identity.
Conservative
Michelle Rempel Conservative Calgary Nose Hill, AB
Great.
To our guests who are on the teleconference....
Representative, LEGIT Vancouver
I'd be glad to answer.
LEGIT has helped literally thousands of people since 1992, when we were founded. Our job is to get between... currently smaller numbers, but we've had up to 80 people in Vancouver each month. Of these thousands of people, we have had one case where it was a relationship of convenience. In fact, it came last month. We told them we're not interested in helping them. That's one case out of literally thousands. I don't see it as an issue at all. It's much easier to claim you're straight and not risk being beaten and persecuted and hated by the people in a refugee camp than it is to say you're gay.
Executive Director, Rainbow Resource Centre
Yes, I would agree with the summary, first of all, and also the other speakers. I think that, yes, there could certainly be cases where someone is going to pretend to be LGBT to seek asylum here in Canada, but I think they will be few and far between. I'm not quite sure why anyone would want to, given the persecution that they would face back home or here. If someone lies and gets deported, that's a pretty big risk to take in terms of being labelled as LGBT when you return to your home country.
Executive Director, Rainbow Resource Centre
The other question that I might ask is, how gay is gay enough? How long are people going to have to remain gay for? We know that sexuality is fluid, so there are people who have been in same-sex relationships, who ultimately end up in opposite-sex relationships, and vice versa. Also, there are people who are persecuted based on their engagement in sex work, so they may have been involved in one same-sex sexual encounter, but are facing persecution in their home country. The nuances of these cases also need to be considered.
