A Pakistani refugee claimant is trying to prove he is bisexual so that he can remain in Canada. "It's pretty demeaning to have to go through all these kinds of questions, and that's exactly what homosexuals have to go through," the man's lawyer said. “It’s pretty demeaning to have to go through all these kinds of questions, and that’s exactly what homosexuals have to go through. There’s this expectation that a homosexual who’s an immigrant or a refugee will have to go through

How can the media do a better job of covering refugee issues? What tools and tips should refugees have when speaking with journalists? In June 2018, The Discourse facilitated four evening workshops to explore these issues. We invited refugees and settlement workers to join the discussion and share their perspectives.This toolkit is a summary of what we learned through phone calls, emails and an in-person workshop series we hosted to bring together newcomers, refugees, academi

Jean-Nicolas Beuze, representative in Canada of UNHCR, the UN refugee agency, has written an article in the Toronto Star about recent right-wing fake news and fear-mongering about a so-called flood of "illegal" refugees into Canada. "It is wrong and irresponsible to instill fears about refugees in Canada. Facts matter. Words matter. Today’s refugee crisis is not here — but in countries neighbouring conflicts in Africa or the Middle-East. The least we can do when we see how th

Hundreds of LGBT refugees come to Canada every year, escaping persecution and violence at home. They face “incredible odds,” says Kimahli Powell, executive director of Rainbow Railroad, one of the groups involved in bringing Chechen refugees to Canada last year. And when they arrive, they often have no resources and nowhere to go. But they can count on the support of Canada’s LGBT communities: “Our community, as we have shown many times again, is ready to rally together to su

A recent article published in the National Post discusses the issues surrounding Canada's disappointing announcement about the number of refugees it will take in over the next few years. The upshot: opportunities for LGBT refugee resettlement are diminishing. Most sexual or gender minority refugees resettled to Canada are government-sponsored. Only a small number of those resettled to Canada are privately sponsored, such as those affiliated with ROAR. There will be no increas