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This year marks a significant milestone for us as we proudly celebrate three decades of supporting LGBTQI+ people through the immigration and asylum system.

In the 90s, a group of lesbian, gay and bisexual couples, and their lawyers, campaigned to make it possible for the partner of a British citizen in a same sex relationship to remain in the UK. This was how Rainbow Migration was originally formed.

Since then, we’ve continued to campaign for the right of LGBTQI+ people to rebuild their lives free from homophobia, biphobia and/or transphobia here in the UK.

Learn more about the origins of Rainbow Migration, have a look through our historic archive and read the stories of those who have been involved with us throughout the years!

I’ve been involved with the organisation for 25 years, since 1998. At the time it was called the Stonewall Immigration Group (SIG). I’d met the person who was to become my life partner, from Thailand, and we were looking at ways to stay together. We began looking for people who could help us and heard about the SIG telephone helpline. After a couple of initial phone calls, I went along to some of the in-person meetings, where LGBTQI+ couples met with lawyers for legal advice. These sessions were very helpful for my own personal situation, but I also became more interested in the Group’s underlying mission to change immigration law. Before I knew it, I started volunteering.   

As a volunteer, I was able to meet both service users and the volunteer solicitors every month, both in the meetings and socially afterwards. It was hugely reassuring to know that so many people were confronting similar issues and as a bonus I met people who have become very good friends. Eventually I took more of a role in the running of the organisation, becoming a committee member. In summer 2000, when we suddenly found ourselves without an office, I built the original, very basic website in 3 weeks and rebuilt it twice in subsequent years. I didn’t have any previous training, experience or knowledge of website design, but I really enjoyed the challenge, and it was very satisfying when some of the people who came to the Saturday meetings told us how critical it had been to their understanding of their situation. I am told that many couples were able to make straightforward applications without using a solicitor, with the help of the website and forum. 

“Though the initial purpose of the group had been achieved, it didn’t mean our work was done. Very quickly it was decided, given our established and growing profile, to refocus the mission of the group towards the support of LGBTQI+ people seeking asylum.”

The work of the Committee in those early days involved coordination of the effort to change the law and planning for the future of the organisation. The Unmarried Partners Concession which was announced not long after New Labour took office in 1997, became law in October 2000, effectively achieving immigration equality for same-sex couples and of course equality then came more widely with Civil Partnerships in 2005. Though the initial purpose of the group had been achieved, it didn’t mean our work was done. Very quickly it was decided, given our established and growing profile, to refocus the mission of the group towards the support of LGBTQI+ people seeking asylum. I became Chair just as the Asylum Support Project was set up with a part time project manager.

In early 2004, SIG rebranded to become the UK Gay and Lesbian Immigration Group (UKLGIG) and achieved charitable status. For many years we depended on the generosity of our founders such as Matthew Davies, Mark Watson and Wesley Gryk; by 2006, thanks to increasingly effective fundraising, we were in a position to hire our first Executive Director, Dr. Sebastian Rocca, and we moved into our first permanent office in 2007.

It was a very stimulating time to be involved with the organisation; there were huge challenges, but we were encouraged by a growing number of successes. I was always conscious, however, that neither I nor my partner had any lived experience of being an LGBTQI+ refugee or someone seeking asylum. After 2 or 3 years as chair, I decided to step aside for someone with more relevant experience, although I continued helping to run partnership meetings and maintained the group website until 2020.   

When I first volunteered, I was on duty once a week on the phone lines and once a month at the Saturday meetings. Becoming involved with the organisation like this gave me a new, positive purpose; it was a real pleasure to do something good for people who needed support. I am proud of the work we did together. We and our core group of volunteer solicitors weren’t just campaigners who aimed to be a nuisance to the government. We developed a thoughtful style of gentle persuasion, education, and training. We understood that we couldn’t just scream and shout, despite the injustices all around us. We often faced political, public and tabloid backlash, but we kept going; we achieved so much by maintaining a standard we could sustain through quiet dedication and diligence. 

“My personal connection with the organisation has been a liberating and highly positive experience, which I continue to value and treasure.”

Of course, not everything has always gone according to plan. Public support for LGBTQI+ migrants isn’t commonly flavour of the month, and over the years much of the right-wing press has had no problem reminding us of that. But such biased coverage also meant that good people heard about us and sought us out to show their support. 

Being part of the charity has been a great privilege for me. It has given me the opportunity for experiences I would have been unlikely to encounter otherwise, meeting people from a diverse range of backgrounds. Former executive director Erin Power called us “unlikely friends”. Such friendships have opened my mind, almost certainly been closer as a result, and taken me in new, exciting directions.

UKLGIG became Rainbow Migration after a rebrand in 2020, and I am proud to see them continue to go from strength to strength. My personal connection with the organisation has been a liberating and highly positive experience, which I continue to value and treasure.

I first heard about Rainbow Migration in May 2007, after I started transitioning and began to support other trans men. I had a passion for human rights issues and was attending a trans support group, eventually joining their committee. I helped out by answering enquiry emails. One email was from a trans man who wanted help with their transition, but who also needed to claim asylum. I was unsure how to help someone in the asylum system, so I sought advice elsewhere. I contacted Stephen Whittle, an LGBTQI+ activist and trans man, and he suggested the Rainbow Migration legal advice meetings, so I accompanied the service user to one of these meetings. It was in a big room, with many other LGBTQI+ people claiming asylum present. Volunteer lawyers explained the process, and afterwards we had a private conversation with a solicitor. Thanks to their advice, I helped him start the application process. 

The meeting was a real eye-opener for me. I was blown away by how awful and dehumanising the process is for LGBTQI+ people. I was dismayed by how much evidence people needed to provide to “prove” they are LGBTQI+. It was a wake-up call and convinced me to get more involved with supporting LGBTQI+ people seeking asylum, so I began volunteering with Rainbow Migration. I went along to the meetings to help Sebastian Rocca, Erin Power, and Jill Power. They were all great to work with. I eventually began to support a few more trans men who were claiming asylum. It took a long time, but they all got granted refugee status.

“I am particularly proud of our work influencing the new ruling in 2009 that meant LGBTQI+ people who come here seeking safety couldn’t just be told to “go home and hide”. That decision had a huge impact on the people we support.”

In 2013 I was made redundant; at the same time Erin decided to leave Rainbow Migration. With more time on my hands, I took on more voluntary duties. Erin trained me in bookkeeping, admin, and organising meetings. At the time everything was being run by the trustees, especially Tim Barndon, Jackie Peirce, and Bojana Asanovic. They were very proactive and a great source of support. Eventually they hired a new Executive Director, Paul Dillane, and he secured the funding to offer me paid employment.  

Working at Rainbow Migration means a lot to me. There’s something about being a refugee that touches me on a very deep level. For people to lose everything they know and love, to not have a home, and yet still have the will to come and start again and build a future in a completely new place and go through a difficult system, says so much about the strength refugees possess. Supporting refugees alongside such a great team really gives me something to feel good about.  

I am particularly proud of our work influencing the new ruling in 2009 that meant LGBTQI+ people who come here seeking safety couldn’t just be told to “go home and hide”. That decision had a huge impact on the people we support.  

“I love working for Rainbow Migration. It’s very emotional work for me, and I’m so happy to see the organisation continue to grow. Leila and the trustees have done an amazing job attracting a fantastic group of professionals who know how to do their job so well. I love being part of it and am so grateful to be here.”

I am also so proud of how much we’ve grown in recent years, especially since Leila Zadeh was made Executive Director in 2017, and Dane became our Support Services Manager. They’ve built a stronger support structure, and made it safer for everyone, services users and staff alike. They have improved our services, which are more organised and supportive for our service users. Moving offices, to a more private space, has also improved safeguarding. Securing new roles, such as a Legal Officer, has made a tremendous difference as well. I was also so impressed with the way the organisation moved to an online space for remote working during the COVID lockdown. We worked together as a team to maintain support for our service users during a particularly difficult time. 

While we have so much to be proud of from the last 30 years, there are many things I hope we can celebrate in the future. I really wish for a safe route for people coming here. We need the government to realise that we are not a fortress. People have the right to live in a place that isn’t going to harm them for being who they are. We need to make space for people. We need to care about each other more.  

I love working for Rainbow Migration. It’s very emotional work for me, and I’m so happy to see the organisation continue to grow. The new policies, safeguarding measures, and the wellbeing activities have all been such welcome, positive developments in the last few years. Leila and the trustees have done an amazing job attracting a fantastic group of professionals who know how to do their job so well. I love being part of it and am so grateful to be here. 

**This challenge has now closed.**

We’re turning 30! This year, we’ve been supporting LGBTQI+ people through the asylum and immigration system for 30 years.  

Celebrate with us and challenge yourself to complete 30 miles in 30 days during September. Run, walk, swim, cycle, or use a wheelchair or other adaptive equipment to cover 30 miles throughout the month and raise much needed funds to support LGBTQI+ people going through the asylum and immigration system. 

For Pride season, we have come together with Micro Rainbow and Refugee Action to highlight the voices of LGBTQI+ people who have or are seeking refugee status in the UK.

We talked to Michael, from West Africa; Zarith, from Southeast Asia; and Tony, from Africa, three gay men who came to the UK because they weren’t safe back home. They explained  the challenges of going through the asylum system, the Refugee Ban Bill and also asked them to send a message to the Home Secretary.

One group that often faces particularly difficult challenges is LGBTQI+ people seeking protection in the UK. They have fled persecution and discrimination in their home countries due to their sexual orientation or gender identity and are seeking safety and a chance to rebuild their lives here.  

Instead of welcoming them and giving them the support they need, this government is telling them that they’ll be punished for coming here, locked up and sent away to another country, perhaps one they’ve never heard of, and that may be dangerous for LGBTQI+ people. 

If you are also outraged by the way LGBTQI+ people seeking asylum are treated by this government, here are 4 ways in which you can do something for them during this month – it takes less than a minute per action. Make sure to share this with as many friends as possible!  

1. Sign our petition and tell the Prime Minister to ditch his cruel and unworkable Refugee Ban Bill 

If the Refugee Ban Bill becomes law, LGBTQI+ people who come here seeking protection and safety will face a high probability of being placed in immigration detention. In detention LGBTQI+ people face bullying, harassment and abuse, with serious consequences for their mental health. Following detention they could be sent to countries that are dangerous for LGBTQI+ people and where they don’t have any connections or support. Places like Rwanda, where LGBTQI+ people face discrimination and violence, as Innocent explained.  

It’s not too late for the Prime Minister to stop this – sign our petition to show these cruel plans do not represent us.

2. Ask your MP to oppose LGBTQI+ detention 

The number of people being detained in this country has been climbing, and this government still plans to open more detention centres and seek greater powers to detain. Together with the University of Brighton we recently released a new pilot study into LGBTQI+ experiences of immigration detention since September 2016, which indicates that LGBTQI+ people continue to face harassment, bullying and deteriorating mental health while in immigration detention. 

Click below to ask your MP if they will oppose LGBTQI+ detention. 

3. Join our ‘No Pride in Detention’ campaign 

You can also join our ‘No Pride in Detention’ campaign . Let’s come together and make sure no LGBTQI+ person is locked up and subjected to violence and abuse in detention. Add your name to say enough is enough: it’s time to #EndLGBTQIDetention.

4. Donate some much needed money 

We’re working in a challenging environment at the moment, where LGBTQI+ people seeking asylum are not made to feel welcome in the UK and government policies are putting people’s lives at risk.  

Donating today could support:  

• A one-to-one emotional support session to help someone feel less isolated  
• Sanitary and hygiene supplies and food vouchers for a person facing destitution  
• Interpreting services so that we can support speakers of any language.

***This opportunity has now closed***

Would you like to join our board of trustees? At Rainbow Migration we are currently on the lookout for one or two new trustees.

Our current board consists of people with a wide range of backgrounds, skills and experiences, including lived experience of the asylum system, law (public law and human rights), academia, communications, fundraising, and finance.  

We’re interested in hearing about any skills and experience you can bring to the table, especially if you:  

• • have experience of involvement with people that access support services 
  • have experience in safeguarding 
  • are tech savvy 
  • have helped organisations become anti-racist 

But don’t worry if you don’t – there are plenty of other valuable skills and experiences that we’re looking for too! We encourage applications from people from all walks of life, and would particularly like to hear from you if you: 

• • have been through the asylum system 
  • are disabled 
  • are neurodivergent 
  • are trans 

Still unsure whether this opportunity is for you or not? Here are some frequently asked questions that might help you make a decision.  

So what will I be doing?  

Trustees are legally responsible for Rainbow Migration. Your duties will include: 

• • Setting strategy. Our trustees have recently set our strategy for 2023-25 – joining the Board at this time means making sure we deliver on the strategy 
  • Ensuring we abide by our constitution, follow the law, and act in line with our values and policies 
  • Making good use of our money and resources 
  • Considering and mitigating risks 
  • Reporting to the Charity Commission 

These are some of the matters trustees have discussed in their last few meetings: 

• • HR, including staff salaries, pensions and wellbeing leave 
  • Our finances, including how we spent money in 2022 and our cashflow in 2023 
  • Organisational policies including safeguarding, consideration of criminal offences, health and safety, and environment and sustainability 
  • How changes in law and government policy could affect our service users and our work

What if I don’t have experience as a trustee? Can I still apply?  

You absolutely can. We will support you to develop in the role. For example, we can ‘buddy you up’ with an existing trustee that you can meet regularly to prepare for board meetings. We also provide training.  

Will I be able to work with service users? 

The role of trustees is to govern the charity and ensure we are meeting the purpose for which we exist. You won’t have much involvement in the day-to-day work for the charity, so contact with service users will be limited. 

I don’t have a computer. Is that a problem? 

We don’t want technology to be a barrier to becoming a trustee. It’s helpful if you have a smartphone, at least, so that you have regular access to emails and can connect to meetings on Zoom. We can provide training if you need to learn how to use Word or Excel, for example. Please apply and we can talk about how we can help make sure you can participate fully.  

Can I become a trustee if I’m applying for asylum?  

We can only accept applications from people with leave to remain in the UK or UK citizenship. We would be happy to consider an application from you to become a trustee when we next recruit if you have secured leave to remain by then.