A little bit about us...
Rainbow Refugees NI was established in June 2022 by a group of queer people living in Belfast. The group initially wanted to challenge the mainstreaming of anti-refugee/migrant rhetoric in the UK and to ensure that this sentiment did not find a foothold within the local LGBTQIA+ community.
The group led Belfast Pride Parade in 2022 with a strong REFUGEES WELCOME message. Participants wore masks painted with the flags of countries where our lives are criminalised, we sought to remind Pride attendees of their own vulnerability had they been born elsewhere.
Rainbow Refugees NI has been meeting monthly since Belfast Pride 2022 and membership has grown to more than 50 people, representing around 20 nationalities.
But why does it matter?
Globally, 65 jurisdictions criminalise private, consensual, same-sex sexual activity. People with minority sexual orientations and gender diversity can face the death penalty in 12 jurisdictions. Discrimination and persecution often leave LGBTQIA+ people with limited or no family or support networks. In fact, often it is those networks that present the greatest threat when someone comes out.
Those who flee to the UK and Ireland due to their sexual orientation/gender identity to claim asylum rarely find a utopia here. Rather, they face a hostile and difficult asylum process. How can you prove something that you have spent your whole life hiding?
Our 2024 "We Are Getting Hurt" report with Law Centre NI found worrying levels of bullying and serious physical and sexual abuse experienced by our members In Northern Ireland. The report also highlighted a lack of confidence in interpreters and high levels of mental health stress.
We are campaigning for the creation of a small number of dispersal properties for the exclusive use of LGBTQIA+ asylum seekers. This provision already exists in parts of England and Wales under equivalent Home Office contracts.
The 'local' picture...
Since our "coming out" as the fledgling Rainbow Refugees NI in 2022, our group has been generously supported by more people than we can mention. From artists, producers, dancers, podcasters, curators, designers, cinemas, shops, activists, the Women's movement, the trade unions, venues, the funders, the fundraisers, the donors, all the LGBTQIA+ sector legends, stalwarts and drag stars. We feel the love and are grateful.
As queer people we must open our community to all our siblings and to STAND UP and SPEAK OUT when they are under attack. Our community is our strength.
We say, REFUGEES ARE WELCOME!
LGBTQIA+ people seeking sanctuary are routinely accommodated alongside people who share the national or religious attitudes of those who persecuted them in their home countries. Despite LGBTQIA+ people seeking sanctuary being recognised as a group with specific safety needs, the Home Office does not fails to proactively seek to prevent harm against them. With no option for separate accommodation, our members report a depressingly high rate (78%) of harassment within their asylum accommodation. We are working to change this.
We say, LGBTQIA+ REFUGEES ARE WELCOME!
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