Canada’s private sponsorship program: Success, shortcomings, and policy solutions

In 2019, Canada resettled 30,100 refugees, overtaking the United States and Australia in the number of refugees admitted that year. About three in five refugees who have arrived in Canada over the past decade have been admitted under the private sponsorship program. Private sponsorship was formalized by the 1976 Immigration Act, drawing on the will of private individuals to identify and support refugees financially and emotionally for one year by taking responsibility for their resettlement and integration. Ever since then, more than 350,000 refugees have been privately sponsored to resettle in Canada. This research aims to analyse Canada’s experience in resettling refugees through the support of private sponsors. It elaborates on the outcomes and challenges of Canada’s program and explores avenues of policy solutions.