How can the citizen sponsorship model be improved?

On May 5, Canada4Refugees, in partnership with Ryerson University’s Diversity Institute, held a one-day workshop with members of sponsorship groups, settlement agencies and refugees to discuss the challenges of the current citizen sponsorship model, and ways to improve the system. 

Three members of the Ripple sponsorship group are founding members of Canada4Refugees, an organization that aims to both promote and support the citizen sponsorship model for refugee resettlement through advocacy, education and awareness.

Several experts shared their insights into private sponsorship and overall refugee and migration issues in Canada, including Senator Radna Omidvar, an expert on refugee and immigration issues; Mario Calla, the executive director of COSTI settlement agency; Samantha Jackson of Lifeline Syria; Wendy Cukier, head of Ryerson University’s Diversity Institute and the Globe and Mail’s Doug Saunders, who has written extensively about migration issues. Most stressed the importance of the citizen sponsorship model that started in the 1970s, when private citizens sponsored more than 60,000 so-called ‘boat people’ - instead of the 4000 the government had anticipated. The response to the Syrian crisis was equally enthusiastic, but interest in private sponsorship has declined noticeably in Canada after its 2015/2016 peak.

The participants identified a number of challenges for citizen sponsors. They include finding sponsorship agreement holders (SAHs) as well as a lack of oversight from SAHs; lack of access to settlement training and limited funds; the long processing time for applications; weak links between sponsors and settlement agencies; a lack of communication between sponsorship groups and the Department of Immigration as well as limited availability of resources for refugees in rural and northern communities. Refugees’ access to work and language training was also noted as a concern. Another issue that was lamented is that there is no clear information about how many private sponsorship groups there are in Canada, and the difficulty to connect with them.

In a brainstorming and discussion session, a number of suggestions were made on how to improve the system.

·       Create an organization – possibly comprised of representatives of Canada4Refugees and the Refugee Sponsorship Training Programme – to work with the SAH Council to make more information and resources available to private sponsorship groups

·       Create a universal, non-faith based SAH that sponsors could go to for information and support. It should probably start in Toronto but could be replicated around the country if successful.

·       Create a better handbook outlining pre- and post-arrival obligations and improve access to resources and services for sponsorship groups

·       Comprehensive training and capacity building for front-line service providers as well as for sponsors, catering to diverse learning styles

·       Refugee voices need to amplified in conversations about sponsorship and refugee issues in general

·       More direct and clear information is needed on family reunification, which is important for mental health of refugees. IRCC may need to expand its definition of family, going beyond the Western notion of a nuclear family

·       Sponsors should be allowed to sponsor asylum seekers, e.g. those who have come across the border from the US.

·       Advocacy is needed to motivate the public to continue to sponsor refugees/have empathy for refugees. Telling stories, appealing to emotions can help.

At the end of the workshop, participants came up with suggestions for concrete actions that could be taken. They were ranked by the participants. Here are the top seven:

1.       Fund additional employees at ICRCC to review the backlog of applications, with a view of processing 50,000 refugee applications each year for the next five years.

2.       Call on the government to waive limits and quotas on the number of refugees for private and citizen sponsorships each year.

3.       Mobilize citizens who are not on-board – if we don’t change their perceptions, there will be no political change

4.       Invite fifty asylum seekers to a BBQ at Allen Gardens

5.       Create better communication channels to share information and ideas, and to enhance collaboration

6.       Create a secular SAH, similar to Lifeline Syria, that is transparent, open to working with all sponsorship groups, able to issue tax receipts and has staff that answers questions and makes referrals to other organizations

7.       Create a list of all private sponsors in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) to build a network

A few things we have learned in the first year

It has been almost one year since the Syrian family of eight we are sponsoring has arrived in Toronto. As we are waiting for a second family to arrive, it’s time to take stock. It has been an extremely eventful, rewarding, but also challenging year.  Here are some of the lessons we have learned.*

It’s a life-changing experience

Although the past year has at times been challenging and frustrating, by and large the sponsorship has been one of the most rewarding experiences many of us have ever had. We have not only gained the friendship of a Syrian newcomer family, but we have also grown together as a group and felt part of a larger community, of something bigger than ourselves. While sponsoring a family is a small act in the big scheme of things, it has completely transformed not only this family’s, but also our lives in more ways than we could have imagined.

It’s a big commitment

Several times it hit us what a big commitment we had taken on. All of a sudden we were responsible for eight complete strangers who did not speak a word of English, had never traveled anywhere besides Syria and Lebanon and did not know how things worked in Canada. It was very daunting - almost like adopting a child. Especially at the beginning, settling in the family was very time-consuming and quite challenging because we did not speak each other’s language. The commitment does not stop once the family has moved into an apartment, has all their documents and is enrolled in English lessons. Not only does the practical support continue, but it becomes increasingly an emotional commitment, one that does not stop once the sponsorship year is over. Several of us have formed strong ties with the family, and we hope that the sponsorship relationship will turn into a lasting friendship.  

The family invited us to an Iftar meal during their first Ramadan in Canada

It takes a village

We are very fortunate that the members of our group have a wide range of professional backgrounds - such as health, education and human resources - which made dividing and tackling the multitude of tasks of the settlement process a lot easier. But it was much more than our group that helped settle in the family. Several dentists have provided their services for free. A family we did not previously know, offered temporary housing.  Several community groups collected goods and clothes for newcomers. Within hours of sending a request to our networks, a complete set of baby items – from a stroller to a crib – had been donated for the soon-to-arrive newest member of the family. Ryerson students mentored one of the sons of the family who wants to study here. Several organizations, such as the Arab community center, have given us invaluable support when needed. This amazing outpouring of help from many Canadians has been one of the most positive experiences during our sponsorship year.

Manage expectations

Before we took on the sponsorship, an experienced private sponsor gave us an important piece of advice that helped us manage expectations from the outset: It’s important to remember that the sponsors’ primary job is to settle in refugees as best as they can. If they become friends with the newcomers, that’s an added bonus, but don’t be disappointed if this does not happen, or if you don’t get along. (Luckily for us, we got on really well with the family from day one).

We also realized that a number of our expectations for settling in a newcomer family are driven by our cultural, social and educational background and bias – such as that women should be looking for work. It is important to communicate openly, to recognize cultural and social differences and adjust expectations.

An outing with the family to Niagara Falls

Don’t be scared of making mistakes

None of our group members had a lot of experience with Arab culture and a few mistakes were made. During one of our first visits to the family, for example, I kissed both the women and the men on the cheeks, suddenly realizing that this was probably a complete cultural faux pas. The family was completely unfazed, however, and has always been very forgiving and tolerant of our ignorance. Despite our cultural and social differences, we share a common humanity and emotional bond, and we found that it’s better to jump right in and make a few mistakes than being too shy and scared to interact with newcomers from a different culture with limited knowledge of English.

Don’t infantilize

Because the family we are sponsoring did initially not speak any English and did not know their way around, we took on a large number of jobs at the beginning – booking doctor and other appointments, for example, picking them up and driving them around, sometimes making decisions on their behalf. It is a fine line between helping people settle in and infantilizing them, making them dependent on our support. This goes both ways – the family often continued to ask for support even when we felt they could take on the task themselves. It is not always easy to figure out the right balance.

Being in Canada does not mean being happy ever after

Some people may expect that refugees’ problems are over once they reach Canada, where they are safe and have a roof over their heads. But while they are physically here – and grateful for the warm welcome they have received in Canada - their minds are often still back home. Gruesome images and news reports from the war in Syria are continuously coming in on various electronic devices. There is a constant stream of calls and messages from loved ones who are still in Syria or are refugees in neighbouring countries. The constant worry, and the guilt of being here and not being able to help, can be overwhelming, and makes settling in more difficult. Many sponsorship groups will face the challenge of being asked to sponsor additional family members.

Don’t let setbacks get you down

As with many things in life, sponsoring a refugee family is not always smooth sailing. There are many ups but also quite a few downs - unexpected challenges and frustrations.  It is important to accept that setbacks are normal - it does not mean that the settlement is unsuccessful.

Some of the Ripple Refugee group members at a meeting

Have a strong core group

While our group is relatively big, only a handful of people are actively engaged on a regular basis. Some members are traveling a lot, others are busy with work and family and only sporadically interact with our sponsored family. It is vital to have a strong leader and a small group of committed, hands-on members who continuously give the sponsored family not only practical, but also emotional support throughout the year. Before deciding to sponsor refugees, groups should discuss very clearly if members are around throughout the year, and are willing to be involved on a regular basis. Less engaged members can support the settlement activities on an ad hoc basis.

Do your homework

When we decided to sponsor refugees there were not many resources available. This has changed, and I would highly recommend to anyone thinking about sponsorship to either do a training with the Refugee SponsorshipTraining Program , or read one of the resources that are available, such as the Lifeline Syria sponsorship handbook.

*These personal reflections were written by RRP member Claudia Blume and don’t necessarily reflect the views of all members of the group

URGENT: Please tell your Liberal MP before Monday that the government needs to continue its support for Syrian refugees

As you may have read in the newspapers, it has become apparent to Private Sponsorship groups that the Canadian Government is pulling back in its support for Syrian Refugees now that they have met their election promise.

Yesterday the Ripple Refugee Group's chair Andrew FitzGerald, along with former Toronto mayor John Sewell and two other representatives from Private Sponsorship groups, had a private meeting with Immigration Minister McCallum in order to encourage continued Canadian government prioritization for the Private Sponsorship program for Syrian Refugees.

As there is a Liberal Party caucus meeting early next week to review their overall commitment to the Syrian refugee crisis, we encourage all of you to write to your local Liberal MP (you can find contact details for your MP here) copying Immigration Minister McCallum (email: john.mccallum@parl.gc.ca) to emphasize your strong support for continued focus on Syrian Refugees initiatives.


In particular, we want to communicate that 

1) We don't agree with the Government that any new applications, even if they are fully paid for and settled by private sponsorship groups, should be subject to overall refugee caps and be processed in the normal 24 - 42 month time frame.   This is an unprecedented humanitarian crisis and we have mobilized and privately-funded citizen groups ready to help out - lets not waste that resource!  

If this becomes government policy, as it looks likely to happen, then thousands of Private Sponsorship groups who have raised money and made preparations to settle Syrian families will have to wait several years or more before their applications are processed. 

2) Domestic and overseas immigration staffing resources should be restored to Feb. 2016 
levels to expedite the arrival of already approved Syrian refugee families to Canada.  Waiting until the end of 2016, or early 2017, as the government has indicated is the new timeline, for those whose applications are already in process puts the refugee families in danger given their precarious overseas living arrangements. 

We are at a turning point in this nation-wide, grassroots humanitarian project - but without government support it will all come to naught.  

Please do communicate with your Liberal MP and Minister McCallum as soon as possible to convey your strong support for this historical grassroots humanitarian initiative that Private Sponsorship groups represent.

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Our application has been approved!

Great news! We learned from our partners at Ryerson's Lifeline Syria Challenge today that our application to sponsor the Syrian family  we have been matched with has been approved by Citizenship and Immigration Canada. 

The file has been transferred to the Canadian Embassy in Beirut, where the visa officers will now continue to process the refugee applicants' part of the application.

The clock is ticking ... if all goes well, the family could be in Toronto in a few weeks already!