How Hamiltonians can sponsor a refugee

It helps to have four friends willing to go in with you, and you need money.A lot of it.

This week, Mayor Fred Eisenberger hosted an information meeting about how to sponsor a refugee. Two organizations the Anglican Diocese of Niagara and the Mennonite Central Committee Ontario (MCCO) presented. They have sponsored refugeesfor years.

It's not an easy process, but Rick Cober Bauman, MCCO executive director, says it's worth it.

"It's quite remarkable what develops out of that," he said of when local families sponsor refugee ones. "I often hear the word transformative."

Cober Bauman described the Hamilton event as a powerful evening where he heard from local Syrians who hope to see a member oftheir family sponsored. Some of them touched base with potential willing sponsors.

"It was a hopeful moment," he said.

Here, from Cober Bauman and Rev. Bill Mous from the Anglican diocese, are some basic facts about how to sponsor a refugee:

What is a refugee?

A refugee is someone fleeting his or her country to seek protection because of feared persecution over race, religion, nationality, political opinion or membership of a social group.

There are currently about 59.5 million refugeesaround the world, and 80 per cent of themare women and children. Refugees come from numerous countries, although attention this year has focused on Syria, where acivil war has created millions of refugees.Last year, 3,500 refugees died trying to cross the Mediterranean Sea, says the UNHCR, the United Nations Refugee Agency.

Refugees returning home is always the preferred option, but last year, the number able to do that was the lowest in at least five years.

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How much does it cost?

The cost of sponsoring a refugee is two pronged. It requires 12 months of income support for the refugee ($9,800 for one person) and start-up costs ($2,800). For one person, the total cost is $12,600. For a family of four, the total cost is $27,000.

What else does sponsorship involve?

It also involves an airport welcome, orientation, providing a temporary place to live, helping find a permanent place to live, and helping the person apply to the Integral Federal Health program (IFH), OHIP, doctors and dentists, local schools, jobs and other logistical, emotional and moral support.

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What are the options?

Mous outlines three:

Sponsorship agreement holders (SAHs)

SAHs are organizations with an agreement with the federal government, including the Anglican diocese and the Mennonite Central Committee. The federal government instituted SAHs and a private sponsorship program in 1979 to accommodate so-called "boat people" refugees fleeing the Vietnam War. SAHs can either sponsor refugees themselves or work with private citizens to sponsor refugees.

Community sponsors

These are organizations, associations or corporations that have the financial capacity to sponsor a refugee, and the ability to provide emotional and social supports for one year. They must be in the same city as where the refugee will settle.

Group of 5

This is any group of five or more citizens who can support a refugee for one year.

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What types of refugees are there?

There can be Blended Visa-Office Referred (BVOR) refugees, who are referred by UNHCR and cosponsored by the government, or privately sponsored refugees.

BVOR refugees have already been screened and the government provides six months of their income. Privately sponsored refugees must undergo screening and the sponsoring group has to provide financial support for a full year.

How long does it take?

BVOR refugees usually arrive quickly, Mous said. Sponsor-referred refugees depend on processing time.

What to do if you don't have $12,000

You can donate to the Anglican diocese fundraising initiative that it's holding to celebrate its 140th birthday. The diocese has raised about $60,000 so far, Mous said. It hopes to raise enough to sponsor 50 refugees in the area.

Here's a list of other organizations helping refugees.