Canada Model of Care

Justin Trudeau

20.9.16

Yesterday, we announced a new initiative to increase the number of private sponsorships of refugees around the world, which allow families to more easily and quickly integrate into their new communities. bit.ly/2cWd1Jy

Canada, UNHCR & the Open Society Foundations Seek to Increase Refugee Resettlement through Private Sponsorship United Nations/New York City, September 19, 2016 – The Government of Canada, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, and the Open Society Foundations have agreed to launch a joint initiative aimed at increasing private sponsorship of refugees around the world. Research demonstrates that privately sponsored refugees tend to have relatively early, positive integration and settlement outcomes, thanks in part to the social support provided by sponsors. Coinciding with the UN Summit on Refugees and Migrants in New York City, the new joint initiative has three primary objectives: Contribute to enhanced responsibility-sharing by expanding the use of private sponsorship as a pathway for refugees in need of protection and solutions;Encourage the expansion of resettlement by building the capacity of states, civil society actors, and private citizens to launch private sponsorship programs; and Provide a vehicle that mobilizes citizens in direct support of refugees and encourages a broader political debate that is supportive of refugee protection.The Canadian government has facilitated the resettlement of more than 275,000 privately sponsored refugees since introducing its program in the late 1970s. Thousands of individuals, groups, and organizations have taken responsibility for supporting and helping to integrate refugees during this period, including many who participated in Canada’s recent Syrian resettlement program. (Please see attached backgrounder for more details on the Canadian private sponsorship program.) The new joint initiative will support two initial activities. First, it will create a series of training modules on private sponsorship, based principally on a careful analysis of the Canadian model and made available to other countries who are interested in private sponsorship. Second, it will build the capacity necessary to disseminate the training modules and offer tailored advice on how to adapt and implement private sponsorship programs. This project will complement other initiatives under development elsewhere in the world also aimed at mobilizing citizens and creating complementary pathways for admission of refugees. The joint initiative will commence its activities at an initial meeting of stakeholders in Ottawa, Canada, in December 2016.