New Canadian Project for LGBT Refugees

Canadian immigration minister Jason Kenney announced a pilot project in which the government will work with the LGBT community to help persecuted refugees.

The Toronto Starreports on the effort between Citizenship and Immigration Canada and the Rainbow Refugee Committee to sponsor refugees.

"The department will provide $100,000 in assistance to cover three months of income support for the refugees upon their arrival here, while the Rainbow committee will offer orientation services, accommodation, food and other basic needs," reports the Star.

The agreement requires the Rainbow committee to reach out to other private groups for help with sponsorship applications and arrangements. Sponsors will provide financial support for asylum seekers' first year of settlement in Canada.

The announcement comes in advance of a likely spring election and after the controversy over the Tory minister's decision last year to abbreviate the references to gay rights history in a citizenship guide.