Canada’s Private Sponsorship of Refugees (PSR) program is regarded as the “gold standard” for refugee sponsorship around the world; however, there are several shortcomings to the program that urgently need addressing. This article compiles the research findings and provides a comprehensive list of common obstacles faced by the research participants as well as a bank of best practices.

This report compares refugee resettlement programs in eight countries: Norway, Australia, United Kingdom, Canada, France, Germany, Sweden, and the Netherlands. The study examines how each country determines their selection criteria for UNHCR resettled refugees and how they balance the consideration of future integration in the host society against the humanitarian goal of protecting the most vulnerable refugees.

Project partners OCASI and Refugee 613 observed gaps in knowledge, relationships and operations between private sponsors and the formal settlement sector in Canada. These gaps often “become cracks that negatively affected the settlement journey of [sponsored] refugees.” This report summarizes the approach taken by the Allies for Refugee Integration (ARI) Project to create more welcoming communities for privately sponsored refugees.

This summary provides an overview of the comparative article by Phillimore, et al., on the strengths and shortcoming of refugee integration programs in Japan and the United Kingdom and how the integration domain in each country impacts refugee experience.

This article explores the relationship between the citizen and the state in Canada, in the context of (i) sanctuary, where a church congregation shelters failed asylum seekers, and (ii) community sponsorship of refugees. The author argues that the political and legal framework governing border control and refugee admission structures the citizen’s relationship with the Canadian state and inflects their relationship with the refugees they shelter or sponsor. Further, in general, sanctuary providers interpose themselves as a shield between those they recognize as refugees and the state when refugee status is denied.

The 1960s and 1970s mark significant shifts in refugee policy and legislation in both Canada and the US. This summary provides an overview of two chapters in "Send Them Here: Religion, Politics, and Refugee Resettlement in North America" by Geoffrey Cameron. Chapter 4 is titled: "Shifting Alliances - Refugees, Human Rights, and Policy Reform". Chapter 5 is titled: "Coming Full Circle - Indochina, Legislative Reform, and the Post-War Legacy."

This book examines the development of refugee resettlement policy in North America post WWII and explores the role and influence of religious groups in its development. Historically, Canada and the USA have been the leading resettlement countries. The book examines the puzzle of how the US and Canada developed such different, counter-intuitive refugee resettlement systems.