“I like to call sponsorship a journey that is done together. You are going on a river, you’re going to have to portage sometimes, there are going to be rapids, it’s going to be quiet and still and unmoving sometimes, there are variables that you have no control over, there are unknowns. It’s a human experience. It’s an organic experience. You need to be prepared to journey together for that one year and arrive at the destination”. 

RESEARCH OVERVIEW

This pilot study explored the needs, challenges and best practices of the Private Sponsorship of Refugees (PSR) program in Canada. Qualitative interviews were conducted in Toronto with 34 key informants (diverse sponsors, Sponsorship Agreement Holderstaff, and settlement sector staff and volunteers) in the summer of 2018.

This research was funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC). Ethics were approved by the Research and Ethics Board of Wilfrid Laurier University

ABOUT THE RESEARCHERS

Dr. Juanne Nancarrow Clarke is a professor emeritus from the Department of Sociology and Anthropology at Wilfrid Laurier University. Her current researchutilizes an applied research lens, critically examining topics such as gender andmedicalization, medical error and experiences of refugee sponsorship groups. Dr. Clarke was a member of a sponsorship group for a Syrian family from 2015-2016.

Taylor Marlow is a M.A. graduate from the Wilfrid Laurier University Sociologydepartment, with a focus on immigrant and refugee resettlement experiences. Shehas worked in research, facilitation, project management and monitoring andevaluation in the academic and non-profit sectors in 5 countries around the world.

RESEARCH PRODUCTS

This research is still in progress. To date, several research products have been produced. This includes:

• Research brief ;
• Full research report (challenges, best practices, benefits and recommendations);
• Detailed breakdown of the recommendations entitled 11 Ways to Improve Canada's Private Sponsorship of Refugees Program;
• Infographic of recommendations;
• C ase studies of innovation ;
• Policy Options  article  (others currently in press with academic journals);
• Facebook page highlighting the research results on social media.

These products can be viewed and downloaded through the above hyperlinks or on the lefthand side of this page. Please feel free to circulate these findings with any interested or relevant stakeholders.