QUESTION PERIOD — Foreign Affairs
Support for LGBTQ2+ People
June 16, 2022
My question is for the Government Representative in the Senate.
Afghanistan was already a dangerous place for LGBTQ2+ people well before the Taliban took back control of the country. Since August 15, 2021, the situation has gotten dramatically worse. According to a Human Rights Watch report, the Taliban have committed multiple acts of gratuitous, unscrupulous violence against LGBTQ2+ people since returning to power.
In August 2021, Canada confirmed that it would extend its program to resettle 20,000 Afghans and that a special program would be set up for vulnerable Afghans, including LGBTQ2+ people.
Senator Gold, what is the Canadian government doing right now to bring in LGBTQ2+ refugees from Afghanistan? Rainbow Railroad, an organization that helps LGBTQ2+ people from Afghanistan, says that 300 of them, who are at high risk of persecution, are waiting for emergency evacuation. What is the Canadian government doing to help them?
I thank the honourable senator for his question.
Canada’s door is always open for people who identify as LGBTQ2+ and who are fleeing violence and persecution in their country.
I am told that the government is working closely with organizations such as Rainbow Refugee, the UN Refugee Agency and other organizations to help sponsor LGBTQ2+ refugees from abroad. The government supports at least 55 service providers to help these people feel at home in Canada.
As to your specific question, dear colleague, I will find out more about Afghan refugees and I hope to get back to you soon.
Government Representative in the Senate, thank you for that answer, although it fails to reflect the urgency of the current situation.
The same urgency also exists in Ukraine. LGBTQ2+ communities face a number of challenges, including the limited availability of prescription drugs for trans people, how hard it is for them to travel because their ID does not necessarily match their gender, the fact that neighbouring countries in which Ukrainians may find refuge often have discriminatory laws in terms of LGBTQ2+ rights, and the list goes on and on.
Senator Gold, how is the Canadian government helping these individuals in Ukraine?
I thank the honourable senator for his question.
We all have a role to play in ensuring that these people feel safe and are supported. I don’t know the details of the situation in Ukraine, but I will ask the government for clarification on this matter to answer this and the previous question, and I will get back to you as soon as possible.
