Given the current inclement weather conditions, we’ve made the difficult but necessary decision to call off tomorrow’s March for Refugee Rights Day event.
Over 2,000 people were registered to show up. Many of them are refugee claimants who were going to travel from as far as Kingston and the Niagara region. Folks would end up having to brave stormy weather conditions without warm coats, navigate transit snags, and travel for hours to get to a rally to advocate for their essential needs and constitutional rights.
Having to cancel this rally reminds us of the broken systems many LGBTQ+ refugee claimants have to navigate on a daily basis. During our Love in Action event in February, many clients who had travelled for hours to get to us expressed the need for food, winter gear, clothing, and boots. They continue to rely on our programming and the demand is only increasing day by day.
At greatest risk are refugees who are LGBTQ+, women, Black, racialized, and Muslim – as they are often disproportionately scrutinized, surveilled, and criminalized by the very systems that should offer them safety and protection. Racial bias, prejudice, and systemic racism are evident in the differential and hostile response to refugees around the world and here in Canada.