Refugee sponsorship a parish-based program

By Laureen McMahon

The Vancouver Archdiocese is one of 20 dioceses in English-speaking Canada which holds a federal refugee sponsorship agreement permitting concerned parishes to assist in the resettlement of refugees escaping persecution in their homeland. (Dioceses in Quebec have similar arrangements with their provincial government.)

Laureen McMahon / The B.C. Catholic Falah, Samiya, and Nahala were among nine Iraqi Christians welcomed to Canada at Vancouver Airport Feb. 20.

The agreements signed between dioceses and Citizenship and Immigration Canada are part of a unique program which permits faith and community groups to sponsor eligible refugees from abroad, in addition to those supported through government assistance.

While Iraqi Christians denied the right to practise their religion have recently made up the largest number of refugees to apply for local parish sponsorship programs, refugees from Eritrea and Sierra Leone are also here receiving support from parishes, said Chris Radziminski, Co-ordinator of the Office of Service and Justice of the Vancouver archdiocese.

Most sponsorship applications, explained Radziminski, are brought to the attention of the pastor by or on behalf of refugees' Canadian relatives.

"Pastors typically establish refugee committees," he explained.

"Committees consider whether a specific case meets the program criteria, determines the ability of the parish to provide the necessary support, and provides its recommendation to the parish pastoral council and pastor."

Ultimately the parish priest who signs the application documents has the final say on whether or not a parish will commit to a specific case.

"The pastor must satisfy himself that the obligations (financial and otherwise) to the refugees will be met. Deeper than this, the pastor must ensure that the human dignity of the refugee and his or her family will be upheld by the parish, with the parish committed fully to extending Christian hospitality, solidarity, and assistance," said Radziminski.

Once accepted, all logistical arrangements are organized by the parish refugee committee. Assistance in the application process is provided by the Office of Service and Justice.

The sponsorship and resettlement process, Radziminski said, requires a strong commitment and often a great deal of effort from families and parishes. Typically the commitment period for parishes to resettle refugees is one year, which necessitates substantial parish fund-raising.

Resettlement needs include basic items such as clothing, cooking supplies, and home furnishings; monthly expenditures include accommodation, food, transportation, and arrangements for employment, education, and medical services.

Radziminski noted that Canada has historically been a place of haven for refugees from abroad; after the United States and Australia, Canada is in the top three of only 18 countries that resettle refugees from around the world.

In 2006, 10,700 refugees were resettled in Canada through both the private sponsorship and government channels. In 2007 parishes in the Vancouver archdiocese alone welcomed 100 refugees; about five per cent of all immigrants to British Columbia are refugees.

The United Nations High Commission for Refugees documents provide a good overview on how to differentiate between classes of migrants, said Radziminski. More information is available at www.unhcr.org.

Other sources are the Pontifical Council for the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerant People, www.vatican.va, and the International Catholic Migration Commission, www.icmc.net.

"Because this is a parish-based program," said Radziminski, "all queries should be directed to parishes."