The document discusses Canada's refugee sponsorship programs, focusing on programs for Syrian refugees. It describes two main programs - the Government Assisted Program which provides basic support for up to a year, and private sponsorship programs where groups of 5 Canadians sponsor individual refugees. The Blended Visa Office-Referred program is also summarized, which involves a partnership between the government, UNHCR, and private sponsors to support refugees for up to a year. Over 6,000 Syrian refugees have arrived in Canada so far through these programs, with many being resettled in Alberta cities like Calgary and Edmonton.

1. Gemma Garcia | Customs & Logistics 9101| January 5, 2016
Sponsor a Refugee
BLENDED, BVOR, SPONSOR REFUGEE PROGRAM

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Syrian Refugees newcomersto 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 Canada
Canada 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
that offers humanitarian help for those needing resettling. 1982 represents another

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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.
GovernmentAssisted 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:

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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

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individuals, the first privately sponsor families to arrive, and they expect to get 1,500
more resettled as of November 2016.
Sponsoring a Refugee
Canadians 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

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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

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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.
CONCLUSION
Last 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

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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:
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 yourarea. [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+ref
ugees/11624313/story.html] January5, 2016.

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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]