Perhaps you have never considered sponsoring a refugee to resettle in your community; or perhaps you have wanted to bring a displaced family to Canada for a long time now. Whatever your experience, this is the place to take a first look at Canada's Private Sponsorship of Refugees program to see if this is something you and your church could undertake on behalf of another; to put hands and feet to God's call to care for strangers, and to loose the cords of injustice.

“Please, if something happens to us, take care of my children.”

I stared at Amira’s* tearful face on the monitor and knew we could not respond to that plea.

Having received the initial contact with Ahmad* via an emailed appeal for help over three years before, we, and Faith Community Church in Blackfalds Alberta, had been working to bring this Pakistani family to Canada, guiding them through the refugee application process.

We were encouraged to see how our small congregation embraced the idea, though raising the required $30,000 seemed daunting at first. The church family became more enthused as we broadcast skype calls with the family on Sunday mornings and a shipping container began to fill up with donations.

We rejoiced when we heard that an interview had finally been granted, but now all hope seemed dashed. Their application had been rejected. As Ahmad recounted how the immigration official dismissed the documents he presented to verify his story, we felt helpless.

Stage 1 – SAH process

Getting Started:

As you consider whether you and others in your church could sponsor a refugee person or family, interested persons will:

• learn about the distinct types of sponsorships
• speak to the church leadership about their interest in refugee sponsorship
• form a team with a minimum of 5 people
• submit pre-screening forms for any church-referred refugees
• begin fundraising as needed

There are three other sources of excellent information and material that are available to anyone interested in learning more about the Private Sponsorship of Refugees.

Australian Diaspora Steps Up

Ads-Up Canada is a group of Australians and Canadians working to sponsor Manus and Nauru refugees who have been detained indefinitely by the Australian government.  They are looking for partners in Canada after refugee resettlement was cut so drastically by the USA.

I first heard about Manus Island after receiving an email several months ago from a refugee who had been stranded there. It was a disturbing note as he described living conditions on what was essentially a prison island. I had never heard of such a place, and it didn't sound like something the Australian government would allow, so I went looking to see what I could learn. The facts are more painful than I could have imagined.

Yes!

Use this one-page resource outlining 10 practical ways former refugees are good for Canada to inform the people in your circles.

Are-Refugees-Good-For-Canada-poster.PDF

Statistics show that refugees not only benefit from safety in Canada, but they also embrace the opportunity to build a new life. Over time, they make important contributions to the country's economy, and to their communities.

Former refugees are hardworking people and contribute to Canada's economy. They have an unemployment rate of 9%, close to that of Canadian citizens by birth (6%).

How exciting that finally after months or years of planning & preparation, the time has arrived to meet the family at the airport.

The SAH will have received and forwarded to the CG the Notice of Arrival Transmission (NAT) from IRCC about 10 days prior which includes the refugee(s) specific travel itinerary, the names, birthdates, and gender of family members. The NAT notification also includes languages spoken, any medical needs that have been identified, if there are family/friends of the PA already in Canada, and of course the SAH and CG details.

In 2019, IRCC created a Minimum Support Calculator that sponsoring groups must use to generate their budget. 

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. to receive a template specific to your province and family composition. In your email, please include:

• the name of your community, and
• the names & birthdates of each member of the family you are sponsoring.
• any other information that would affect the budget - i.e. pregnancy, health concerns, etc.

Once you have formed your core team, chosen the sponsorship type, and have begun to assign team member roles with at least the Representative (Team Lead) and Treasurer in place, you are now ready to approach your church board.

The sponsorship does not become 'official' and legally binding until you sign and submit the required documents for the Sponsorship Agreement Holder (SAH) and the forms required by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC).

At this point, a Core Team will be in place, the Church Board will have given their approval, and fundraising has begun. Once the church has signed the "Church Letter of Support" it is time to select a refugee family if that hasn't been done yet, and complete the application forms.

Now that the sponsorship is moving forward in an official capacity, this is a good time to send an introductory email or message if you have not already been in contact with the refugee. If you have already connected with them, consider a weekly skype or WhatsApp call. One of the challenges for refugees is losing hope. By making a point to stay connected, you have the opportunity to keep that hope alive, to begin the friendship while you're still on different continents, to be a voice of encouragement as your team keeps abreast of the difficulties they continue to face as they wait for the application to be processed.

As the Core Team meets together to plan and prepare for settlement, part of your preparation responsibility is to take time to learn about the refugee(s) country of origin and culture in preparation for their arrival. Choose the best resource for your team, and then review the cultural basics presented there. You could read through a segment when you meet together, and then discuss any questions or issues that are raised, or one person could present to the team. 

Whatever means you choose, your SAH will ask the Team Lead to confirm the sponsorship group has done some cultural sensitivity training prior to the refugee's arrival.

Culture Crossing Guide covers basics of greetings, communication style, personal space, eye contact, views of time, gestures, gender roles and taboos for a number of different cultures.

EveryCulture.com is another resource that may be good for your group.

If you find other helpful links or resources, please contact us. We will add those links that may be helpful for others too.

Click on "Events" above to see events currently available in our communities or on-line.

Once it has been determined that a group would like to pursue the sponsorship of a refugee family, one of the first things to be done will be to assemble a Core Team.

Each sponsoring group must function with a minimum of five members who will oversee the sponsorship commitments for both pre-arrival and the one year settlement support of the refugee family. The core team will discern together who is responsible for each task, and together recruit additional volunteer helpers for a larger support network.

A well-staffed team usually has a Sponsorship Group Representative, treasurer, and a team leader representing each task area involved in resettlement: housing, transportation, furnishings and clothing, homemaking, education, medical, employment, finance, etc.

You can access the How to Structure a Sponsorship Core Team template here.

On April 7, 2018 I had the pleasure of chatting with Andrea Bowman of Grace Church, Newmarket about their church's refugee sponsorship experience. Grace Church worked with Mennonite Central Committee as their SAH to bring a family of 8 from Syria via Beirut, Lebanon, to Newmarket. Unfortunately, just before the family was about to travel, their youngest child died and understandably, their departure from Lebanon was delayed. In October 2017, the family of 7 touched down at YYZ and their journey to resettle in Canada began.

RSI: How did this particular sponsorship journey begin for Grace?

The Private Sponsorship of Refugees (PSR) Annual Dashboard is produced by IRCC. The report provides a snapshot of what was achieved in the program in the preceding year. Highlights from the 2019 edition are below.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: Calgary, AB
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: Iraq
FAMILY SIZE: One

The 37 year old newcomer arrived in Canada in March 2018 with her mother, sister-in-law and two nephews (JAS profile #19-0081).

The newcomer is a survivor of trauma and torture and has suffered from tremendous psychological stress and mental health issues.

She is responsible for taking care of her elderly mother, who also suffers from mental health issues and has physical health problems, along with her two younger nephews and shares the responsibility of running the household with her sister-in-law.

A sponsor would be able to provide the necessary emotional and social support to reduce the newcomer’s feelings of isolation and help her access community resources, increasing her confidence and independence which could relieve some of the pressure of caring for her mother.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: Winnipeg, MB
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: Syria
FAMILY SIZE: Nine

A Syrian man, aged 42, accompanied by his spouse and their seven children, has completed six years of education and has worked as a plumber and pipe fitter. He is fluent in Arabic and has some English language training.

His spouse is a homemaker. The family has received settlement support. Six of the couple’s children are registered for school, and one is fully dependent on his parents.

Medical needs: The father has withdrawn from English language training due to the ongoing medical needs of their youngest child. This has prevented the family from engaging in other settlement services and accessing various community resources.

Sponsor assistance: A sponsor could: give the family a support system to help with their daily challenges; allow them to dedicate the time necessary to develop their English language skills; help them to fully connect and integrate within their local community; provide informal English practice; and, assist with managing the child’s ongoing medical appointments.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: Toronto, ON
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: Iraq
FAMILY SIZE: Two

The family consists of a 20 year old sister and her 7 year old sister. The eldest sister is raising her younger sister and is the primary caregiver of her elderly grandmother and her brother (JAS profile #19-0346). The brother has impaired cognitive disabilities.

The eldest sister would like to attend English language classes but is unable to do so as she is responsible for her younger sister, grandmother and brother. A sponsor would be able to assist the eldest sister with practicing English, developing her computer skills, connecting her with the local community and providing social and informal emotional support to the family.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: Hamilton, ON
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: Somalia
FAMILY SIZE: One

A Somali woman, aged 26, who arrived in Canada in late 2018, is hospitalized due to a disability.

Medical needs: She suffers from an untreatable muscle disorder which will worsen over time. She is paralyzed, unable to move her arms and is slowly losing the use of her hands. She cannot go anywhere by herself. The hospital does not offer English training.

Sponsor assistance: A sponsor could: reduce her feelings of isolation and loneliness through social, psychological, and emotional support; introduce her to the community to allow her to expand her social connections and build positive relationships with new people; and, informally help her practice English.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: London, ON
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: Syria
FAMILY SIZE: One

A 62 year old senior newcomer widow with health issues is living alone in Canada. The newcomer is a survivor of trauma and torture and is considered to be a Woman at Risk.

The newcomer has trouble getting to her medical appointments due to vision loss and a sponsor would be able to assist her by helping her attend her medical appointments and by helping her become more comfortable with the public transit system. The newcomer also feels isolated and a sponsor would be able to assist with overcoming this by helping her to integrate into her community by connecting her with local services, providing emotional support and practicing English with her.