Rainbow Path has been lobbying for almost three years for legal gender recognition, so that trans and non-binary asylum seekers and refugees can obtain official documentation confirming their name and gender.

Refugees and asylum seekers are continually asked to show our identity documents to prove who we are and that we are legally able to stay in Aotearoa NZ. Yet most trans and non-binary asylum seekers and refugees have to use ID documents that have the wrong name and/or gender marker. Most have us arrived from a country where it is not possible to change our name and/or gender marker – and Aotearoa NZ doesn’t allow anyone to change their name till they are a permanent resident here. This creates huge barriers including trying to open a bank account so we can get an emergency benefit, or convincing an employer that the work visa we are showing them was issued to us.

Rainbow Path supports the Births, Deaths, Marriages and Relationships Registration (BDMRR) Bill that will make it simpler for people born in Aotearoa NZ to amend their birth certificate. We have lobbied against the Bill’s proposal that legal gender recognition is limited to people born here. Permanent residents must retain the right to obtain a formal NZ document confirming their correct name and gender.

On its own, the Bill is not enough. There are also changes needed to other laws and policies, so that every trans and non-binary person living in Aotearoa has access to legal gender recognition – including asylum seekers and refugees and migrants on temporary visas. Rainbow Path has been lobbying on these specific issues for almost three years.

Rainbow Path recently helped Gender Minorities Aotearoa update its submission guide on the BDMRR Bill highlighting some of these remaining gaps. When the final Bill comes out this month, we are asking others to raise these issues too.

It is also important that submissions do not conflate the experiences of all people born overseas; for example, by making generalised statements about “trans migrants, refugees and asylum seekers”. There are differences between the experiences and legal barriers faced by each of these groups. Some are based on whether a trans or non-binary person is on a temporary or permanent visa or is a NZ citizen, and whether they are able to achieve any form of legal gender recognition in their country of birth or nationality. Listen to the diverse experiences of those who are directly affected by gaps in current laws and policies, and their recommendations.

Read more in Gender Minority Aotearoa’s submission guide – under the three separate sections about legal gender recognition issues faced by:

• asylum seekers and Convention refugees on temporary visas
• migrants on temporary visas and
• permanent residents born overseas.

Register for this 15 July event

Rainbow Path’s Auckland Pride 2021 event is back on – and the timing is even better!

The night before our February Pride event, Auckland went into lockdown. It took a while to find a new time that worked for all our amazing speakers. Listen to our great panel and learn how you support current campaigns to end the detention of asylum seekers and ensure asylum seekers, refugees and migrants can change their name and gender marker on IDs too.

So Far To Go: The Rights of Asylum Seekers and Refugees
When: Thursday 15 July, 7 – 9pm.
Where: Ellen Melville Centre, 2 Freyberg Place, Auckland Central
Cost: FREE
Register: here
This venue has an accessible toilet and is wheelchair friendly.

Our expert panel includes:
* The Green Party’s Refugee Spokesperson, MP Golriz Ghahraman
* Rainbow refugees and asylum seekers
* The Asylum Seekers’ Support Trust
* Refugee lawyer Stewart Dalley
* A member of the Immigration and Protection Tribunal.

“So far to go” depicts both the distance Rainbow refugees and asylum seekers have travelled to Aotearoa NZ and the huge gaps in our immigration laws and policies that leave refugees and asylum seekers isolated with inadequate support, sometimes held in detention. Find out more about the changes needed to fully respect the rights of all refugees and asylum seekers in Aotearoa NZ – including additional challenges faced by those who are members of our Rainbow communities.

COVID-19 has exposed the lack of support for asylum seekers and refugees in Aotearoa New Zealand, particularly those on temporary visas. It has also seen an increase in xenophobia and anti-immigration sentiments. How can Rainbow communities better support refugees and asylum seekers, including through advocating for changes to immigration policies?

Rainbow Path’s So Far to Go panel on refugees’ and asylum seekers’ rights was scheduled for tonight, Monday 15 February, as part of the Auckland Pride festival. We regret that it has had to be postponed because Auckland is in Alert level 3.

This panel is really important for us. So Rainbow Path will definitely still be holding the panel discussion – probably in March at the Ellen Melville Centre. It will be a great opportunity to find out more about the changes needed to fully respect the rights of all refugees and asylum seekers in Aotearoa NZ – including additional challenges faced by those who are members of our Rainbow communities.

Rainbow Path is really glad that we were still able to have our stall at the Big Gay Out yesterday. A huge thanks to Refugees as Survivors NZ for booking the space and sharing it with us. We were an awesome team together.

Rainbow Path reached out to our panel speakers last night and we hope to confirm a new date soon. We will also send everyone who registered for the panel discussion an email with the new event date.

Follow us on our Facebook page, as we will also post updates there. Please help us promote our website too, so it comes up in online searches when people are urgently looking for support.