Co Comm mmunit unity y Sp Spons onsorsh orship ip Civil - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Co Comm mmunit unity y Sp Spons

• nsorsh
• rship

ip

Civil Society at the heart of Refugee Welcome

Background

• Canada’s Private Sponsorship of Refugees

Program started in 1979 when Canadians responded in massive numbers to South-East Asian refugees.

• 35,000 Vietnamese, Cambodians and Laotians

were privately sponsored in the first two years.

Civil Society at the heart of Refugee Welcome

Since the 1970s

288000

refugees resettled through Private sponsorship in Canada

Civil Society at the heart of Refugee Welcome

History ry of f Community Sponsorship in UK

• Announcement of Community Sponsorship by Theresa May in

October 2015.

• Launch of the Community Sponsorship scheme in July 2016.
• Two families resettled through the scheme to date.
• Lots of interest and many more applications submitted to the

Home Office.

Civil Society at the heart of Refugee Welcome

Benefits of f Sponsorship

• Increases resettlement numbers
• Voice and power to private citizens
• Creates refugee advocacy community
• Direct contact between refugees and

community

Civil Society at the heart of Refugee Welcome

Tensions

• Shifting of Responsibility

State -> Community

• Public Perceptions = on

number, naming, its future

Civil Society at the heart of Refugee Welcome

Ar Are you e you kee keen n to ex to expl plore

• re

co commu munity nity sp spons

• nsorship?
• rship?

Civil Society at the heart of Refugee Welcome

• You are a highly motivated and committed group of people

who want to personally welcome and support a refugee family into your neighbourhood.

• You are fit and proper people to take on such a

responsibility.

• You have experience and skills within your group to

welcome and support refugees as they build a new life

Civil Society at the heart of Refugee Welcome

• You can make a commitment of up to two years
• You are a registered charity or can become attached to a registered

charity.

• You can find appropriate independent accommodation for a refugee

family for a two-year period without help from the local authority.

• You can demonstrate that you have funds amounting to £4,500 per

adult refugee or £9000.00 for a family and 2 children.

Civil Society at the heart of Refugee Welcome

• You can gain consent to operate as a community

sponsorship group from your local authority.

• You can devote sufficient time to orientation, training etc.

so that you are equipped to be a sponsoring group.

• You are capable of filling in all the forms, drawing up a

resettlement plan, liaising with officials etc.

Civil Society at the heart of Refugee Welcome

www.facebook.com/CitizensUK

@CitizensUK / @bekelewoyecha

Bekele.Woyecha@citizensuk.org

www.citizensuk.org

Civil Society at the heart of Refugee Welcome