In Quebec, one of the ten Canadian provinces, the Private Sponsorship of Refugees Program looks somehow differently. In 1997, the Government of Quebec assumed responsibility for the implementation of the program in the province. As a result, in the subsequent years a distinct approach to refugee sponsorship emerged there, with some similarities but also some notable differences with the rest of Canada. In this episode of our podcast series, we discuss the particularities of refugee sponsorship in Quebec with Ian Van Haren, Director of Action Réfugiés Montréal: a non-governmental organization that supports asylum seekers and refugees. 

If you are interested in learning more about this topic, we recommend the recent book chapter by Clothilde Parent-Chartier, Neal Santamaria, and Ian Van Haren titled “Civil society organizations and collective sponsorship of refugees in Quebec”. The publication is available open access: https://doi.org/10.31235/osf.io/em6z2

In this episode, we are joined by Lynn Weaver (senior program manager at the Canadian Sponsorship Agreement Holders Association) to discuss the benefits and risks of the bureaucratization of refugee sponsorship. The staring point of the conversation is the relationship between civil society and government and the gradual evolution of the Private Sponsorship of Refugees Program. We then zoom in on different aspects of the PSRP, such as the requirements for sponsoring organizations and individual refugee sponsors, program integrity, accountability, and risk management. Lastly, we discuss the impact of bureaucracy on refugee sponsorship programs and provide recommendations for policy makers and practitioners in Canada and abroad. 

The mobilizing effect of media coverage on refugee sponsors has been widely acknowledged, especially in the context of the 2015-2016 resettlement of Syrian refugees to Canada. At the same time, the broader role that media plays in refugee sponsorship programs is rarely discussed. For example, can one use media strategically in piloting and growing refugee sponsorship programs, and if so, how? To learn more about this topic, we have invited Louisa Taylor. An award-winning journalist in her previous life and a private sponsor of refugees in her personal life, Louisa is the director and co-founder of Refuge 613: a communications and mobilization hub supporting the welcome and integration of refugees in Ottawa.