June 20 marks World Refugee Day, and a coalition of refugee-serving organizations and activists in Canada is calling on the federal government to strengthen protections for 2SLGBTQIA+ refugees and asylum seekers amid growing concerns about anti-refugee rhetoric and policy changes.<\/p>\n
The world is in the midst of a displacement crisis. The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) reports there were 41.6 million refugees<\/a> worldwide at the end of 2025. As Pride Month celebrations continue across Canada, advocates say recent changes to refugee policy and healthcare coverage could create additional barriers for Queer and Trans people seeking safety.<\/p>\n Launched on June 19, the Defend Refugees campaign aims to draw attention to the challenges facing 2SLGBTQIA+ refugees and asylum seekers while calling on the federal government to strengthen protections for this community.<\/p>\n Defend Refugees: A campaign advocating for Queer & Trans newcomers<\/p>\n Convened by The 519<\/a> and Rainbow Railroad<\/a>, the campaign kickoff comes during Pride Month, and just ahead of both World Refugee Day and Toronto\u2019s Pride Festival weekend. Rainbow Railroad\u2019s Chief Communications and Advocacy Officer, Latoya Nugent, says that this moment offers an opportunity to bring refugee issues into broader conversations about 2SLGBTQIA+ rights and inclusion.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cWithin the Queer and Trans community, we don\u2019t always elevate the issues of newcomers or refugees,\u201d Nugent told Queer & Now<\/a>.<\/p>\n She says that the new campaign is particularly urgent, as the federal government has recently introduced new measures that impact refugee claimants, including provisions within Bill C-12 <\/a>and changes to refugee healthcare coverage.<\/p>\n \u201cPublic visibility on this issue matters,\u201d Nugent explained. \u201cIt matters a lot for Queer and Trans refugees right now, primarily because of the anti-immigrant, anti-refugee rhetoric that\u2019s emerging in Canada.\u201d<\/p>\n Read More<\/p>\n Advocates say the challenges facing 2SLGBTQIA+ refugees extend beyond navigating the immigration system, finding housing, settling into a new community and even combating discrimination as newcomers. For instance, many arrive after experiencing persecution because of their sexual orientation or gender identity and are required to recount traumatic experiences as part of their refugee claims.<\/p>\n \u201cSome of the unique challenges [include] proving who they are, proving their sexual orientation and their gender identity,\u201d Karlene Williams-Clarke, Director of Community Organizing at The 519, told Queer & Now. \u201cAnd retraumatizing themselves talking about the issues that they face and why they\u2019re fleeing their home countries.\u201d<\/p>\n Concerns regarding Bill C-12<\/p>\n As anti-2SLGBTQIA+ movements gain momentum globally and refugee policies become more restrictive, advocates warn that safe pathways for people fleeing persecution are becoming increasingly difficult to access. One of the Defund Refugee campaign\u2019s major concerns is a provision in Bill C-12 that places a one-year limit on asylum eligibility for those who first entered Canada after June 24, 2020. This applies regardless of whether that person has since left and reentered the country and applies to all claims made on or after June 3, 2025.<\/p>\n Williams-Clarke, who came to Canada as a refugee in 2009, explained that a lot of people experience great uncertainty during the refugee claimant process. This is something that can be heightened by this new legislation, which she says causes many to worry that their claims will be thrown out due to timing.<\/p>\n \u201cI know the trauma that people face, the fear, the uncertainty and things people don\u2019t understand,\u201d she explained. <\/p>\n \u201cThey\u2019re fearful, they don\u2019t know what to expect, and they\u2019re expecting to be safe, and only to [find out] that they may be returned to their country, where they were even further persecuted.\u201d<\/p>\n Nugent, who also has lived experience as a refugee<\/a>, argues that the policy fails to reflect the realities of many 2SLGBTQIA+ people\u2019s experiences.<\/p>\n Read More<\/p>\n \u201cPeople come to their Queerness, come to their Transness over time,\u201d she said, explaining that this can often occur after the one-year mark.<\/p>\n She gave the example of people who migrate to Canada for temporary work, or to study, and because of culture in Canada, begin to realize that they are Queer or Trans. <\/p>\n \u201cAnd after school, or that work, they may go back home, and something acute may happen that causes them to flee,\u201d she explained. \u201cOr perhaps they stayed [in Canada], and because of changes in legislation in their countries, it\u2019s not safe for them to go back.\u201d<\/p>\n But if it has already surpassed 12 months since their original arrival, the one-year limitation would prevent them from claiming refugee status.<\/p>\n \u201cSo when you have this automatic ineligibility, just based on when somebody first arrived in the country, I think it ignores the actual realities that Queer people live through,\u201d Nugent explained, adding that advocates also worry about the data sharing provision within Bill C-12.<\/p>\n \u201cBecause we don\u2019t have full clarity on whether personal information may get into the hands of the very governments that lots of people are fleeing,\u201d she explained, highlighting that this is particularly concerning for Queer and Trans refugees.<\/p>\n Advocates are also concerned about access to housing, healthcare and other supports, particularly for newcomers who may be waiting months for work permits while trying to establish themselves in Canada.<\/p>\n