Micro Rainbow International Foundation works to support LGBTI asylum seekers and refugees in the UK. Every year, over 1100 LGBTI persons claim asylum in the UK because of their sexuality, gender identity or intersex status. LGBTI asylum seekers are often not safe if they are placed in housing environments with people from their own home countries, or those people whose religious and cultural backgrounds hold extreme homophobic and transphobic views. Non-cisgender lesbians and gays, trans and intersex people often suffer from higher levels of violence and abuse. LGBTI asylum seekers have in the past reported being bullied and assaulted by other refugees with whom they share accommodation.

Against this background, MRI wants to ensure the safety of LGBTI refugees, their economic empowerment and their social integration. MRIs solution is to

(1) offer housing for LGBTI asylum seekers and refugees exclusively, to provide them with safe temporary accommodation;

(2) deliver social inclusion activities, such as peer support groups and life skills workshops;

(3) provide assistance to find employment and to set up small businesses.

The service provision combination of safe housing and socio-economic services that foster integration into British society (a holistic approach to integration) gives LGBTI refugees and asylum seekers greater chances to fulfil their full potential in life.

In October 2017, MRI opened the first house in the UK offering safe housing to LGBTI refugees and asylum seekers. It houses four residents: asylum seekers and refugees from Bangladesh, El Salvador, Malaysia and Jamaica. A second safe house is now open, housing asylum seekers from Iraq, Kenya, Jamaica and Kosovo. As of July 2018, MRI has opened two more safe houses in Birmingham (West Midlands) to support LGBTI asylum seekers and refugees in the area.