π¨ URGENT STATEMENT: Read ARF’s full response to the UK Asylum Reforms hereπ¨
READ OUR END OF YEAR IMPACT REPORT NOW!
Welcome to the Annual Impact Report for African Rainbow Family in 2025. Over the period of this year, 2025, we have supported hundreds of LGBTIQ+ people seeking asylum and refugees around the UK, as well as lead on a number of key achievements in UK and European asylum policies.
A word from our CEO and Founder, Aderonke Apata:
“I wish to extend my deepest gratitude to every supporter of African Rainbow Family in 2025. In a year of marked hostility for refugees and people seeking asylum, our community’s unwavering solidarity has been vital. Looking ahead, we are proud of our new official IAA accreditation, which ensures high-standard legal advice as we continue our dedicated mission to secure dignity and justice for all.”
Retain 5-year ILR Pathway for LGBTIQ+ Refugees in the UK
The Governmentβs new asylum policy proposes replacing the current five-year refugee leave with temporary 30-month grants and delaying eligibility for settlement to 20 years for those on the new core protection route. We believe these changes will disproportionately impact LGBTIQ+ refugees negatively.
The five-year ILR route lets refugees rebuild their lives, integrate and access stability. Replacing it with 30-month renewals for up to 20 years creates harmful insecurity, especially for LGBTIQ+ refugees who face heightened risks of homelessness, exploitation and discrimination. The proposed system adds bureaucracy, worsens backlogs and undermines effective protection and international humanitarian standards.
Watch our short film, “The 20-Year Rule: A Lost Generation”
It features the lived experiences of 9 of our Siblings whose lives are being put on hold.
Seeing their faces and hearing their voices explains why this fight is so urgent.
ACCESS TO
JUSTICE
We are advocating for the rights of refugees and people seeking asylum in the UK to access legal support.
In the UK, the legal aid system is currently in crisis. Sadly, this has disproportionately affected members of the queer community who are within the asylum system, with 57.3% of LGBT+ people seeking asylum that we support having no solicitor or caseworker. Furthermore, it has been expressed by many of our service users, especially those of trans experience, that it is even more difficult to find a legal representative who understands their experience and can reflect this in their case and time spent working together.
