Hon. René Cormier: 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?

Senator Cormier: 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?