PRIVATIZING PROTECTION?
The Evolution of Private Sponsorship in Canada
SHAUNA LABMAN
Ph.D. Candidate
Trudeau Scholar & Liu Scholar
Faculty of Law, University of British Columbia
Canada-Israel Bi-National Forum
Migration, Rights and Identities
30 May 2010, Ruppin Academic Center
Canadian Background
 4 June 1969: Canada ratified 1951 Convention &
1967 Protocol
 Immigration Act, 1976: 1st Canadian legislation to
put refugee policy in statutory form
Act contemplated both non-refoulement and
resettlement
 Both government resettlement and private
sponsorship included

 Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, 2001
 Bill C-11: Balanced Refugee Reform Act, 2010
History of Private Sponsorship
 Pre-1976 informal private assistance from
religious organizations

Canadian Christian Council for the Resettlement of
Refugees, 1946
 Lobbying for legislation predominantly from
ethnic groups wanting to resettle refugees from
the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe
 Indochinese “boat-people” crisis merged with
introduction of private sponsorship scheme
Private Sponsorship Structure
 Outset: “Group of Five” or “Master Agreement”
 Now: “Group of Five”; “Community Sponsor”;
“Constituent Groups” (CGs)
CGs are members of “Sponsorship Agreement
Holder” (SAH) organization
 ~ 85% of sponsors are CGs/SAHs.
 87 SAHs as of 2007

 Co-Sponsorship
 Joint Assistance Program
Benefits of Private Sponsorship
 Increases resettlement numbers
 Voice and power to private citizens
 Creates refugee advocacy community
 Direct contact between refugees and
community
 Government indicator of support
Tensions
1. Shifting of Responsibility

state -> private
2. Public Perceptions



Canadian receptiveness
resettlement vs. asylum
genuine vs. false refugees
3. Selection

Known vs. UNHCR refugees
Shifting Responsibility
 Complementary objective
But:
 Sponsor concern of bearing burden
 Processing prioritizations
 Gov’t taking credit
Future Promises
 2009 CIC Annual Report: doubling of privately
sponsored Iraqi refugees accepted over 5 yrs
 2010 Press Release: 2,000 inc in Priv Spon #s
 Sustainability?
“It remains to be seen whether the resource is
renewable, like forests, or whether it more closely
resembles gold and, once again mined, is depleted”
Public Perceptions
 1986: Canada awarded the Nansen Medal
 1987: 7,437
 1989: 21,631 (peak)
 1989: 31% of Canadians felt that too many
refugees were admitted in 1989
 by 1991 number jumped to 49%
 Genuine vs. false refugees
 Resettlement vs. asylum
Selection
 Sponsor-referred (require approval)
 ~ 90-95% family/friends
 ~49% refusal rate (1998-2007)
Or
 Visa office-referred (CIC approved)
 Less than 2% of PS (2002-2005)
Consequences of Sponsor-Referrals
 Sustainable sponsorship (social capital)
vs. continued need
 Program global & flexible
vs. regional gaps/ non-UNHCR refugees /
high refusal rate
 Refusal rate: drains resources / blurs protection
vs. better connected/informed than gov’t
Meeting in the Middle
 JAS: non-financial sponsorship
 Blended projects: ethnic support & protection
need
Project FOCUS Afghanistan
 Special 3/9 Sponsorship Pilot Program
 Anglican Primate 50 Refugee Families Sponsorship
Project

 Population building strategy

Winnipeg Private Refugee Assistance Program
‫תודה‬