On the day marking World Refugee Day, the Prime Minister of Canada, Justin Trudeau, announced his government was ready to support LGBTQI+ refugees around the world. In a statement read at the occasion marking the day, Trudeau said that everyone deserves a safe place to call home. And that the Government of Canada “recognizes the strength and resilience shown by refugees”, and that his government will reaffirm its commitment to welcome and protect anyone identified as a victim to Canada.
Trudeau expressed Canada’s commitment to finding a solution to the plight of refugees around the globe, including those from the LGBTQI+ community.
According to Trudeau, Canada has stepped up in its commitment to offer accommodation, especially now that over 100 million people are rendered homeless and displaced from their homes around the world.
“In 2022, for the fourth year in a row, we were the top country in the world to resettle refugees. Last year, Canada resettled over 47,500 refugees from over 80 countries, and since 2021, we have welcomed over 33,000 vulnerable Afghans fleeing persecution from the Taliban. We remain committed to resettling at least 40,000 Afghan refugees by the end of this year—one of the largest commitments in the world”, Trudeau said.
The prime minister also spoke about the Russia-Ukraine War. He gave hope to the fleeing Ukrainian refugees, saying that Canada was open to welcoming and supporting them.
Canada is known as one of the leading countries in the resettlement of “at-risk refugees”. It is also one of the notable countries open to welcoming people facing persecution for their gender identity and sexual orientation.
On June 9, 2023, the Canada Mission in the UN and the Rainbow Railroad hosted an event where the state of global LGBTQI+ persecution was discussed and solutions proffered by participants.
Trudeau said that the Government of Canada will partner with Rainbow Railroad, a renowned non-profit organization, to ensure the protection of LGBTQI+ refugees around the globe.
Rainbow Railroad is a charitable organization based in North America with an interest in “at-risk LGBTI+”.
