February 25, 2016
1691
The Kincardine Refugee Committee is ready for the refugee families, thanks to the outstanding generosity of the Kincardine community.
Funding is available for one year of sponsorship for two families, furniture has been collected for two homes, the housing committee is ready with homes, drivers are ready to go, the clothing committee is just waiting to hear about the family structure, and all other committees are prepared to move ahead.
So what is the hold up?
Firstly the 25,000 Syrian refugees that we read about in the press, are being sponsored only by the government and they have Settlement Agencies in place to care for and and help refugees find permanent housing, employment and education.
The blended visa program that Kincardine made application to, is an entirely separate program, and there is no way for government-sponsored refugees to be matched with private sponsors like the committee.
The committee understands that a part of the delay has to do with the change in federal government. The Liberal government has yet to release its 2016 plan with respect to accepting additional Syrian refugees above the 25,000. That announcement is expected within the next couple of weeks.
The Presbyterian Church in Canada's head office in Toronto continues to receive profiles for non-Syrians. In February, the office received 150 profiles, of which only one was a family; the others were single applicants. This family had already been spoken for by another sponsorship group.
The committee will continue to follow up with its contact person at the church office and keep you informed of any new developments in an effort to expedite this process wherever possible.
You may also want to check out the following article in the Toronto Star that speaks to this problem. Here's the link: www.thestar.com/news/immigration/2016/01/18/refugees-wait-in-hotels-while-sponsorship-groups-clamour-for-families-to-help.html
Related Stories