BETTER REFUGEE SPONSORSHIP IN AUSTRALIA

It’s time for a community-led solution for refugees that really works, is fair and accessible. We’re calling on the Australian Government to implement a truly community led sponsorship program which everyone can get involved in.

MY NEW NEIGHBOUR:

A people-powered campaign for better community refugee sponsorship

What is community refugee sponsorship?

Community refugee sponsorship allows a group of people in Australia to put their hand up and ‘sponsor’ a refugee to come live here.

Community groups and organisations like church groups, sporting clubs, schools and other community groups can choose to ‘sponsor’ a refugee, and maybe a whole family, to rebuild their lives in Australia.

Community sponsors help with the costs of bringing the person to Australia and commit to providing various forms of practical support during their first year in the country.

MNN CSP ACTION POSTER

local orientation, including meeting refugees at the airport

enrolling children in school

finding housing

registering with government services

accessing social opportunities and emotional support

opening bank accounts

learning English

using public transport

getting a drivers license

finding a job or starting a business

It’s time for a community-led solution for refugees that really works, is fair and accessible.

WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS?

Sponsorship is great for refugees, who can benefit from personal connections to help them find their feet in a new country. Refugees benefit from intensive, individualised and holistic support provided by committed local volunteers.

And sponsorship is great for sponsors, who develop new networks and relationships by coming together to pursue a powerful shared purpose. Through sponsorship, ordinary citizens uncover and build capacities and communities, and often develop lifelong friendships. Many former sponsors say that sponsoring a refugee is one of the most meaningful things have ever done and sponsored refugees often go on to become sponsors themselves.

Community sponsorship can enrich civic life and also foster social cohesion and the full economic participation of humanitarian migrants in Australia.

Sponsorship can help regional communities attract and retain migrants to boost their populations and expand their workforces. It can enable sustainable settlement in regional locations lacking professional settlement infrastructure.

Sponsorship provides a model for expanding Australia’s refugee resettlement program by drawing on the time and resources of compassionate Australians to supplement the long-standing government-funded resettlement program.

For more information, visit The Community Refugee Sponsorship Initiative (CRSI)

WHEN IMPLEMENTED PROPERLY, COMMUNITY REFUGEE SPONSORSHIP:

creates more opportunities for refugees to find safety and rebuild their lives

provides newcomers with an established network, helping them adapt to their new life, learn English, find work and become full participants in their new communities

brings diversity and valuable skills into our communities

In the last 40 years, Canadians have welcomed over =300,000 refugees into their neighbourhoods through community-led sponsorship. These people arrived in Canada in addition to their government’s annual humanitarian intake, thanks to the efforts of ordinary Canadians and the community groups that they belong to..