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Private Sponsorship of Refugees Program Jennifer Ardon, Canadian Lutheran World Relief March 13, 2015 Immigration Connection, Guelph

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Page 1: Private Sponsorship of Refugees Program Jennifer Ardon, Canadian Lutheran World Relief March 13, 2015 Immigration Connection, Guelph

Private Sponsorship of Refugees Program

Jennifer Ardon, Canadian Lutheran World Relief

March 13, 2015

Immigration Connection, Guelph

Page 2: Private Sponsorship of Refugees Program Jennifer Ardon, Canadian Lutheran World Relief March 13, 2015 Immigration Connection, Guelph
Page 3: Private Sponsorship of Refugees Program Jennifer Ardon, Canadian Lutheran World Relief March 13, 2015 Immigration Connection, Guelph

Who can be sponsored via the PSR program?

United Nations definition of refugee:

“any person outside his/her country of origin who has a well-founded fear of persecution by reason of religion, race, nationality, sexual orientation, political opinion or membership in a particular social group.” (1951 UN Refugee Convention and 1967 Protocol)

Page 4: Private Sponsorship of Refugees Program Jennifer Ardon, Canadian Lutheran World Relief March 13, 2015 Immigration Connection, Guelph

Refugee Resettlement

Refugees have 3 possible durable solutions: • Repatriation• Local integration (in

country of asylum)• Resettlement to a

third country

Page 5: Private Sponsorship of Refugees Program Jennifer Ardon, Canadian Lutheran World Relief March 13, 2015 Immigration Connection, Guelph

3 Resettlement Programs

• Government-assisted (GARs)

• Privately-sponsored (PSRs)

• Asylum process (in-land determination)

Page 6: Private Sponsorship of Refugees Program Jennifer Ardon, Canadian Lutheran World Relief March 13, 2015 Immigration Connection, Guelph

GARs PSRs

Are identified by UNHCR (refugee determination done overseas) and referred to Canadian visa office

Identified for resettlement by family, groups, individuals in Canada

Profiles are selected overseas by Canadian visa officers for government resettlement assistance

Refugee determination done overseas by Canadian visa office

Have permanent resident status upon arrival

Have permanent resident status upon arrival

Canadian government provides financial and settlement support for 1 year

Canadian individuals, groups or organizations provide financial and settlement support for 1 year

Page 7: Private Sponsorship of Refugees Program Jennifer Ardon, Canadian Lutheran World Relief March 13, 2015 Immigration Connection, Guelph

What private sponsors do: • Reception at airport• Financial assistance for 1 year • Finding housing/furniture/clothing• Orientation into community

– School registration– Setting up utilities– Transportation system– Finding health care practitioners– Friendship, emotional support, etc.

Page 8: Private Sponsorship of Refugees Program Jennifer Ardon, Canadian Lutheran World Relief March 13, 2015 Immigration Connection, Guelph

Ways to privately sponsor refugeesSponsorship

Agreement HolderCommunity

SponsorshipGroup of 5

90 SAHs in Canada (faith-based, cultural-ethnic, NGO, etc)

Any group, church, association, organization

5 people needed to sign the application

Limited # of people they can sponsor a year

2 sponsorship applications per year

2 sponsorship applications per year

Limited where they can sponsor from (i.e. Nairobi, Cairo, Pretoria)

Can sponsor from anywhere in the world

Can sponsor from anywhere in the world

Refugee applicant does not require refugee recognition document

Refugee applicant must have refugee recognition from UNCHR country of asylum

Refugee applicant must have refugee recognition from UNCHR country of asylum

Page 9: Private Sponsorship of Refugees Program Jennifer Ardon, Canadian Lutheran World Relief March 13, 2015 Immigration Connection, Guelph

Types of Sponsorships

Family-linked sponsorship

Blended Visa Office-Referred

Joint-Assistance

Full Sponsorship

Page 10: Private Sponsorship of Refugees Program Jennifer Ardon, Canadian Lutheran World Relief March 13, 2015 Immigration Connection, Guelph

Why be a private sponsor?

• Part of rich history within Canada– Canada is the only country in the world with a

private refugee sponsorship program– Many Canadians have their own refugee

histories, generations back

• Faith principles: welcoming the stranger• Mutually beneficial

– Enriches the community– Allows us to understand our world better

Page 11: Private Sponsorship of Refugees Program Jennifer Ardon, Canadian Lutheran World Relief March 13, 2015 Immigration Connection, Guelph

Syrian Refugees

• This week marks 4th year of the conflict

• 3,755,417 registered Syrian refugees– Registered by UNHCR in Egypt, Iraq,

Jordan and Lebanon– 1.5 million Syrians registered by the

Government of Turkey– 24,055 Syrian refugees registered in

North Africa.

Page 12: Private Sponsorship of Refugees Program Jennifer Ardon, Canadian Lutheran World Relief March 13, 2015 Immigration Connection, Guelph

Syrian Refugees• 2013: Canada will resettle 1300 Syrian refugees

by 2014– 200 were GARs, 1100 were PSRs– Slow processing times, late arrivals

• UNHCR requested that Canada take in 10% of 100,000 Syrian refugees ready to be resettled, over a 2 year period

• January 2015 announcement: Canada will resettle 10,000 over a 3 year period– 40% will be GARs– 60% will be PSRs

Page 13: Private Sponsorship of Refugees Program Jennifer Ardon, Canadian Lutheran World Relief March 13, 2015 Immigration Connection, Guelph

Syrian Refugees

• Concerns:– Do private sponsors have the capacity?– BVORs or full sponsorships?– Cuts to IFH extended health benefits– Downloading responsibility to private sector– Slow processing times– Will also resettle 2000 Iraqis of the 3000 the

government announced they would resettle

Page 14: Private Sponsorship of Refugees Program Jennifer Ardon, Canadian Lutheran World Relief March 13, 2015 Immigration Connection, Guelph

For more information:

Jennifer ArdonProject Officer for Refugee Resettlement and Community Relations

CLWR Eastern Regional Office

519-725-8777

[email protected]