New rules making refugee sponsorship harder : bishop
https://archives.anglican.ca/link/article44328
- Author
- Frankling, Sean
- Material Type
- Journal Article
- Journal
- Anglican Journal
- Date
- 2023 May
- Author
- Frankling, Sean
- Material Type
- Journal Article
- Journal
- Anglican Journal
- Date
- 2023 May
- Volume
- 149
- Issue
- 5
- Page
- 3, 10-11
- Notes
- "The diocese of Islands and Inlets — also known as the diocese of British Columbia — is investigating how it can continue its volunteer refugee sponsorship program in light of a new set of regulations that increases the burden of paperwork, says its bishop, Anna Greenwood-Lee", (p. 3). "In December [2022], the diocese announced it would freeze its plans to sponsor new refugees as the new regulations from Immigration Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) had made it impossible to continue" (p. 3). "Private refugee sponsorships in Canada are administered through SAHs whose agreements with the government make them responsible — and liable — for overseeing the community volunteer groups that help welcome and settle new refugees. The diocese of Islands and Inlets holds the agreement under which its parish groups do their work" (p. 3). Stanley Isherwood, spokesperson for IRCC, "says the government does not expect the new requirements to slow down private sponsorship in Canada" (p. 3). The diocese "will continue to sponsor the roughly 190 refugees to whom it has already made commitments, [Greenwood-Lee] says, but going forward, it will need a way to reckon with the paperwork requirements the new framework adds" (p. 3, 10).
- "Alex Hauschildt is the operations director for the Anglican United Refugee Alliance (AURA) which is a standalone nonprofit backed by the diocese of Toronto. He says he can understand the need for the new framework’s increased regulations from the government’s perspective (p. 10). "While doing fewer sponsorships is definitely an option for her diocese, Greenwood-Lee says, there are other options she’d prefer to explore first. First would be help from the government itself in the form of some kind of grant to help pay for the work hours that go into managing that paperwork" (p. 11) "Failing that, it might make sense to form a separate nonprofit organization like AURA to handle the professionalized aspects of sponsorship, she says" (p. 11). "But regardless of what it takes, she says, the diocese is committed to finding a way to make the work sustainable. Not only is refugee sponsorship an essential priority for the diocese; it’s also something Greenwood-Lee believes faith communities are uniquely suited to do" (p. 11).
- Subjects
- Refugees - Legal status, laws, etc. - Canada
- Refugees - Government policy - Canada
- Refugees - Religious aspects - Anglican Church of Canada
- Location
- General Synod Archives