Each year Canada welcomes thousands of refugees who have fled everything from war to political unrest. For some newcomers, they’ve come to the country for a different reason: to be able to live a life true to themselves.
The 519 is located in the Church-Wellesley Village, which is home to Toronto’s 2SLGBTQ+ communities. It serves as a hub for Queer people of all walks of life, offering a wide range of services. The community agency is hoping to highlight the supports available for 2SLGBTQ+ refugees.
Gloria Godwin claimed asylum in Canada in 2019. In her home country of Nigeria, she was faced with a distressing ultimatum: stay and be imprisoned, or leave and be free.
“It’s against the law to be an LGBTQ person in my country, and if you are caught, you’ll definitely go to jail for 14 years. It wasn’t safe for me and at the time I was caught,” Godwin said.
“It’s very emotional for me because I don’t have any family, it’s just me.”
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Godwin is currently a participant in The 519’s New to Canada Program, which connects refugees to crucial services including doctor and lawyer referrals, mental health services and others.
The program also holds monthly meetings that see an attendance of over 200 people looking for resources and information related to immigration, housing and more.
Reenita Verma, who is a settlement services coordinator with the program, says the biggest challenges often faced by program participants are internalized homophobia or transphobia and rebuilding their life after coming to Canada.
“They’ve left everything behind — kids, partners, parents, siblings. Everything they’ve known and grown up with,” Verma said.
Karlene Williams-Clarke also helps facilitate a number of programs at The 519. As someone who was once a participant of the program, she uses her experience as a refugee from Jamaica to help those in need of support during uncertain times.
“They’re very scared. They’re unsure what’s going to happen. They get traumatized over and over again to the immigration officer, to the lawyer,” she said.
“I was able to hold people’s hands even tighter. I was able to explain deeper what the next process would be, the next steps would be.”
According to staff there has been an increased demand for services post-pandemic. The program currently serves 1,900 refugees and more are continuing to walk through the doors each day.
Verma says there is a growing waitlist for services.
“Mental health services can go anywhere up to three months. They have to wait for their (immigration) hearing. That can take anywhere from six months to a year and a half,” she said.
In an effort to further support 2SLGBTQ+ refugees, the agency is continuing to raise awareness about their programs so that people like Godwin can be themselves without living in fear. The Nigerian native says the program has allowed her to smile “and be “free in that space to express myself, to be who I am without looking over my shoulder.”
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