A Refugee’s Journey

The most common place Iranian LGBT flee to is to Turkey where they seek aslym from the UNHCR. Today the resettlement process, administered by the UNHCR, can take up to 3 years where in the past it was 10-14 months.

Until they have official documentation, asylum seekers are in limbo: they face the daily fear of being arrested or deportation, and face many other challenges. They must find a job to survive, put a roof over their heads, and survive without a social support system, as most make this journey for freedom alone they mostly have little or no money. That is where IRQR seeks to help.

The long wait for resettlement to a new home, free from persecution, bears a heavy toll on refugees. IRQR provides guidance about the resettlement process and enable individuals to plan and anticipate the challenges ahead. Applicants are guided through the process by members of IRQR who have come from similar situations. This support is vital to the physical and mental wellbeing of the applicants throughout the process, and helps ensure better integration and chances of success in their new life.

Although our goal is to help 100% of our applicants, some of them do not make it through the process. Some succumb to the harsh realities of mental illness and take their own lives; unable to survive the arduous circumstances claimants are forced to go through.