Gemma Garcia | Customs & Logistics 9101| January 5, 2016

Sponsor a RefugeeBLENDED, BVOR, SPONSOR REFUGEE PROGRAM

Syrian Refugees newcomers to Alberta According to a news briefing issued by the UN, the Syrian conflict that has kept

the country under violence and terrorism attacks by extremist, “has driven more than 4

million people to seek refuge outside their home country.”i Over 25,000 Syrians have

recently arrived to Canada on December 2015, and 2,000 individuals and families are

being relocated to Alberta. Agencies helping those newly arrived, such as the Centre for

Newcomers, are bringing together community efforts to help them get settle and

integrated in the new community through voluntary efforts. The BVOR, a blended

sponsorship program, offers two different modes in order for these refugees to claim a

status before they apply for admission. In my essay, I will present the two sponsor

programs offered by Canada Immigration, and the Government Assisted Program, which

provides basic needs for newcomers, such as housing, employment, and health insurance.

Background: refugee programs in CanadaCanada offers refugee status to people in the country who fear that leaving or

returning to their home country will endanger their lives. In order to get asylum they must

be able to submit a BOC, Basis of Claim; that way, they will be able to have access to a

hearing with a CIC officer, either 30 or 45 days after a claimant has an eligibility

interview.

Since 1969, Canada has been an undersigning country to the “United Nations

Conventions relating to the status of Refugees.” As a country with a long history of

admitting foreigners fleeing away from conflict and wars, Canada is known as a country

PAGE 1

that offers humanitarian help for those needing resettling. 1982 represents another

milestone when Canada amends its “Charter of Rights and Freedoms.” Since the turn of

the millennium, programs of resettlement have stretched a 20% by expanding programs

and helping Muslims from Kosovo, Karens from Thailand and Bhutanese. Government-

assisted refugees are Convention Refuges Abroad whose initial resettlement in Canada is

entirely supported by the Government of Canada or Quebec. Support includes

accommodation, clothing, food, help in finding employment, and becoming self-

supporting, and other resettlement assistance.

Refugees have access to services while claiming refugee protection. In some

cases, they may be eligible for employment authorization, and can apply for student

authorization in order to attend school. This will be granted in the case that a refugee

have minor children.

Government Assisted Program The government of Canada is offering help to over 25,000 Syrians through a 5-

phase national plan. The “#Welcome milestones and key figures” shows how the Syrians

are being welcomed:

PAGE 2

Up to January 3, 2016, over 6,000 refugees have arrived in Canada, in 21 flights, with 85

communities offering assistance and providing the basic services needed upon arrival. In

Alberta, Calgary and Edmonton have welcomed the largest number of people through the

Government-Assisted Refugee (GARs), over 500 individuals and families waiting to be

relocated. Some specific services that the refugees are getting access through this

government agencies include:

Job Specific language training

Help with daily life

Help finding a job

Services for Francophone newcomers

Language training general

Find or become a mentor

Services for Youth

Services for Seniors

Services for refugees

Services for women

Language assessment

All this services are available through community agencies and educational institutions

that are providing support for basic needs. Volunteering to help newcomers with getting

around in the new area is possible through community associations.ii “The Centre for

Newcomers” is a non-denominational agency located in Calgary helping Syrian refugees

to get relocated in the new community. In total this organization is bringing 250

PAGE 3

individuals, the first privately sponsor families to arrive, and they expect to get 1,500

more resettled as of November 2016.

Sponsoring a RefugeeCanadians and permanent residents wanting to sponsor Syrian and Iraqi refugees

can privately undertake an application. “The private sponsorship of refugees program:

groups of five” allows to help settle refuges in Canada by providing financial and

settlement assistance for one year or until they can support themselves financially

whichever comes first. For a refugee to be sponsored through a PSR program, he/she

would have to be referred to the program by an immigration officer. The requirements for

a group of 5 (G5) to provide a sponsor are: being over 18 years, have the financial means

to support the refugee and family, being able to provide emotional and social support, and

living in the community where the refugee will settle. Privately sponsored refugees are

being settle within 36 months, while the Government assisted program is taking 13

months to relocate newcomers. All have to undergo a security screening process to

qualify for entry in Canada, as well as a medical security check before they arrive.

The Syrian and Iraqi international crisis is different than other refugee sponsor

program. In order to Sponsor a refuge, a photocopy of the status recognition as an asylum

seeker would be required, however for Syrians and Iraqis fleeing off a conflict zone this

document is not required. Due to the large number of displaced people and the difficulty

to asses in a case by case the need to relocate, the United Nations is making an exception

to the rule of refuge sponsor program of having to grant refuge status as a previous

PAGE 4

requirement. As of September 19, 2015, Syrians and Iraqis fleeing of the conflict are

exempted to provide proof of refuge status in order to be sponsored. iii In this case, a

document issued by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees or a foreign

nation certifying the status of a foreign national as a refugee should suffice for this

exemption to be applicable.iv

The private Sponsorship program requires being able to financially support all the

family members resettling in Canada for the duration of the program, one year. In

Calgary, “The Centre for Newcomers” offers assistance to churches wanting to offer help

to displaced people from crisis, through a four step process. By contacting the MCC,

churches can offer support for welcoming and community settlement.v They will offer

assistance with elaborating a settlement plan for the association seeking to support and

put forward a sponsorship application. Also, meeting and greeting refugees as they arrive

to Calgary airport, and helping them with primary needs and also, with emotional

support, by offering friendship, love, and a new family. The services offered by the

Centre include learning about life in Canada, creating a career plan and search a job

search, attending classes to improve English, meeting with other newcomers in order to

build community.

BVOR’s: Blended Visa Office-Referred Refugee These are convention refugees referred by the UNHCR, the United Nations

Refugee Agency, who are matched by a private sponsor in Canada. The Government of

Canada provides up to six months of financial support though the Resettlement

PAGE 5

Assistance Program (RAP), while private sponsors provide another six months of

financial support and up to a year of social and emotional support. It is a three way

partnership that allows unite efforts by the Government of Canada, the United Nations

Refugee Agency, and private sponsors. Many refugees applying to this program will be

travel-ready and will arrive to Canada quickly, normally within 1-4 months. Refugees are

covered under the Interim Federal Health Program for the 1 year duration of the

sponsorship, in addition to provincial health care coverage.

CONCLUSIONLast December 10, 163 Syrian refugees arrives to the Toronto International

Airport. Upon arrival refugees are offered Canadian Permanent Resident status that will

grant them protection; from there, they have to continue to their new communities, where

they will have to settle. Previous to arrival, in order to be eligible to enter to Canada, they

have had to undergo a security screening test and a medical examination. Also, they must

list all their family members in their applications so they could be reunited, if these

decide to resettle in Canada later on. In addition, they are loaned the money for traveling

expenses, and offered the means to access services and information in their new

communities.

Recently appointed Minister of Foreign Affairs, James McCallum has travel to

Syria in order to represent Canada‘s political support to those putting their efforts on the

ground of conflict. As of December 31, the government had expected to welcome 10,000

Syrians to Canada. By implementing a new screening process, Immigration officials

outside Canada are hoping to speed the process, however, as McCallum said: “The

PAGE 6

medical processing was one-tenth the speed of what has now become and that is because

they learned on the ground.”vi As delays in the projected dates seem unavoidable due to

the particular circumstances of extreme violence by terrorists groups, and the large

number of families looking to move away from a long-lasting conflicted country, Canada

is continuing their tradition to host refugees and implementing new regulations along the

way in order to make the process more flexible. Asylum seekers are presented with the

different assistance programs, government assisted and sponsor programs, being the

blended option a new available method to offer refugees protection in the new country,

even though they are not granted Citizenship. All the programs offering the support to

have access to Canadian services and the means to get a new life that will allow them to

provide for themselves and become financially independent, a year after their arrival.

Notes:

PAGE 7

i Protecting civilians, providing unimpeded humanitarian aid must remain focus of international efforts, Security Council told during briefings on Syria. [http://www.un.org/press/en/2015/sc12123.doc.htm] Nov. 16 2015.

ii Get involved, volunteer in your area. [http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/refugees/welcome/volunteer.asp]

iii This temporary public policy have been established pursuant to section 25.2 of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act.

iv Temporary Public Policy to facilitate the sponsorship of Syrian and Iraqi refugees by groups of 5 and community sponsors [http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/department/laws-policy/syria-iraq.asp].

v Mennonite Central Committee [http://mcccanada.ca/contact].

vi “Two more weeks to resettle 10,000 Syrian refugees: McCallum,” Ottawa Citizen, 12-30-2015. Accessed [http://www.calgaryherald.com/news/politics/government+needs+more+weeks+resettle+2c000+syrian+refugees/11624313/story.html] January5, 2016.

Reference:

CIC Canada Immigration and Citizenship. [http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/refugees/welcome/index.asp?utm_source=cic-homepage-eng&utm_medium=homepage-feature&utm_campaign=refugees2015]