RECOMMENDATION 1

That Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada commit to reducing processing times for resettlement to no more than 12 months for refugees at serious risk and strengthening ways to provide timely assistance to refugees facing immediate risk such as through the Urgent Protection Program and the use of Temporary Resident Permits.

RECOMMENDATION 2

That Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada in partnership with the UNHCR encourage advanced sexual and gender diversity training for both Canadian and UNHCR officials, support a review of operational procedures to identify any institutionalized discrimination against LGBTQ+ individuals seeking protection and support efforts to assess risks related to SOGIE in the vulnerability screening process.

RECOMMENDATION 3

That Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada conduct a needs assessment to identify the settlement needs of LGBTQ+ newcomers, including those arriving under the Rainbow Refugee Assistance Program.

RECOMMENDATION 4

That Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada continue to partner with civil society organizations in Canada, such as Rainbow Refugee Society, to help identify, assess, and facilitate the expedited processing of LGBTQ+ individuals fleeing persecution.

RECOMMENDATION 5

That the Immigration and Refugee Board accelerate and streamline the processing of legacy refugee claims and that the Government of Canada collaborate with the IRB to find efficiencies and additional resource needs for the IRB so that they can effectively process the legacy refugee claims.

RECOMMENDATION 6

That Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada conduct a SOGIE analysis of its existing policies, and assess the feasibility of implementing a system to track the number of LGBTQ+ refugees that Canada accepts annually, without compromising the security, safety and privacy of the individual.

RECOMMENDATION 7

That Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada review its medical inadmissibility and excessive demand provisions to ensure that the rights of LGBTQ+ and HIV+ individuals and others are upheld.

RECOMMENDATION 8

That Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada make the Rainbow Refugee Assistance program a regular, fully promoted, on-going program with multi-year funding, and be expanded to increase the number of LGBTQ+ and HIV+ individuals who can be assisted each year.

RECOMMENDATION 9

That Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada continue collaboration with Sponsorship Agreement Holders and continue to determine that individuals brought to Canada under the Rainbow Refugee Assistance Program be counted outside of the SAH allocations.

RECOMMENDATION 10

That Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada ensure that key elements of the Rainbow Refugee Assistance Program are maintained such as (1) Sponsorship Circles, (2) matching and mentorship, (3) application troubleshooting, and (4) collaboration with experienced civil society and settlement groups in Canada.

RECOMMENDATION 11

That Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada consider developing a multi-year agreement with the UNHCR in collaboration with civil society organizations in Canada, such as Rainbow Refugee Society, to increase the resettlement of LGBTQ+ individuals fleeing persecution based on sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression.

RECOMMENDATION 12

That the Government of Canada maintain or increase the Privately Sponsored Refugee and Blended Visa Office Referred levels to ensure the continued sponsorship of individuals fleeing persecution based on sexual orientation, gender identity or expression which will support decreasing processing times.

RECOMMENDATION 13

That Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada and Global Affairs Canada work with non-governmental organizations and civil society groups, such as Rainbow Refugee Society, to develop a strategy on LGBTQ+ individuals fleeing persecution.

RECOMMENDATION 14

That the Government of Canada continue to defend LGBTQ+ rights on the world stage and use diplomatic channels to work toward eliminating institutionalized homophobia, biphobia and transphobia.

RECOMMENDATION 15

That the Government of Canada work to re-establish global funding initiatives to LGBTQ+ advocacy organizations in Canada and abroad.