First Privately-Sponsor Afghan Refugees Arrive In Canada

Canada immigration news: The first group of privately-sponsored Afghan refugees arrive in Canada on Thursday, with a plane carrying 250 people landing at Toronto’s Pearson Airport.

The group arrives under Canada’s world-renowned Private Sponsorship of Refugees Program, which sees Canadians or organizations such as faith groups and cultural associations support their arrival in host communities.

“In the coming days, this group of refugees will be welcomed into their host sponsor communities and will quarantine with the support of their private sponsors,” said a press release from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC).

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The new arrivals are vulnerable Afghan refugees, including ‘women leaders, human rights defenders, persecuted minorities, LGBTI individuals and journalists’, the statement said.

This humanitarian program is running alongside the special immigration program for Afghans who worked for Canada during and after the military mission in Afghanistan.

Overall, Canada has welcomed almost 4,000 Afghan refugees.

The new arrivals faced a rigorous screening process, including a medical exam, being offered routine vaccinations and COVID-19 screening. Those not yet vaccinated against COVID-19 will follow the quarantine plan put in place by their sponsors.

“For those newly arrived in our big, cold country, private sponsors offer a warm welcome,” said Immigration Minister Sean Fraser.

“It’s no wonder that many refugees think of their sponsors as family. As we welcome Afghan refugees, private sponsors are essential in helping vulnerable newcomers thrive in their new communities. I look forward to welcoming many more new arrivals in the weeks and months to come.”

How Does Private Sponsorship Work?

Sponsors support refugees by helping them find schools, open a bank account, and covering expenses for food, rent and clothes. Refugees can also access government-funded settlement services.

Since the 1970s, Canada has welcomed 330,000 privately-sponsored refugees.

Colin Singer

Colin Singer is an international acclaimed Canadian immigration lawyer and founder of immigration.ca featured on Wikipedia. Colin Singer is also founding director of the Canadian Citizenship & Immigration Resource Center (CCIRC) Inc. He served as an Associate Editor of ‘Immigration Law Reporter’, the pre-eminent immigration law publication in Canada. He previously served as an executive member of the Canadian Bar Association’s Quebec and National Immigration Law Sections and is currently a member of the Canadian Chapter of the American Immigration Lawyers Association. Colin has twice appeared as an expert witness before Canada’s House of Commons Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration. He is frequently recognized as a recommended authority at national conferences sponsored by government and non-government organizations on matters affecting Canada’s immigration and human resource industries. Since 2009, Colin has been a Governor of the Quebec Bar Foundation a non-profit organization committed to the advancement of the profession, and became a lifetime member in 2018.