International Railroad for Queer Refugees

In August 2008, Arsham Parsi, Executive Director of IRQR, met with the office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the Canadian Embassy in Ankara, Turkey, to address the situation of queer Iranian asylum seekers. Many of these refugees temporarily pass through Turkey while fleeing Iran, and Parsi sought to secure a better future for them in Canada. According to IRQR: In 2015, Arsham Parsi returned to Turkey to document the situation of refugees and provide on-the-ground services. Thanks to his work and that of the UNHCR, many LGBT refugees were able to secure interviews more quickly, receiving refugee status that allowed them to begin their journey to a new home and live freely as themselves. In August 2016, the Canada Revenue Agency granted IRQR charitable status. In November 2018, IRQR expanded its services to non-Iranian LGBT individuals and officially changed its name to the International Railroad for Queer Refugees. == Impact ==

The IRQR documents and reports cases of torture, persecution, executions, and other human rights violations related to LGBT individuals in Iran. It also aims to educate individuals who oppose homosexuality due to a lack of sexual education, addressing "the current lack of self-recognition and self-confidence among queer individuals" and preventing "frequent tragedies, such as suicide." Since December 2015, IRQR has directly worked with more than 1,900 LGBT refugees from Iran, Afghanistan, and Syria, assisting them with their UNHCR applications and their transition and settlement in Canada, the United States, and other countries. IRQR reports an even higher success rate among its applicants, at 80%. ==See also==