Welcoming Syrian Refugees

There are over 4 million Syrian refugees (half of them children) outside their country, living in precarious situations.

The Canadian government is committed to bring 25,000 Syrian refugees to Canada. Religious groups, individuals, and others are rallying to bring Syrian refugees to Canada through the private sponsorship program. 

Many are asking the question, “How can we help Syrians when they arrive in Canada?”

You can help by offering housing, volunteering, or donating. Contact Immigrant Services Society of BC for more information.  Follow emerging information through AMSSA.

What happens to desperate people who don’t get sponsored?

Some Syrians and people from other countries arrive in Canada as asylum seekers without the help of sponsorship. Canada’s legal commitment to the right to asylum allows people to seek refugee protection inside ismedicine.org our borders. When asylum seekers get to Canada, they complete identity and security screening, go through a preliminary interview process, and become refugee claimants.

Kinbrace works with refugee claimants.  Over 15,000 are expected to arrive in Canada this year.

Kinbrace’s main offer to Syrian refugee claimants is to help them access Canada’s refugee protection system with our new resource Refugee Hearing Preparation: A Guide for Refugee Claimants, now available in Arabic for Vancouver, Toronto, and Calgary. We will also provide housing and integration support to a few, as we are able, in Metro Vancouver.

To help refugee claimants through Kinbrace, donate:

• new or good quality used blankets, sheets and pillowcases (single size), pillows, and towels;
• gift cards loaded with value for grocery and clothing stores (Superstore, Safeway, Old Navy, No Frills, Army and Navy etc.);
• Translink Compass Cards (adult and concession) loaded with $20 or more;
• financial gifts through Kinbrace to welcome refugee claimants.

Contact [email protected] for more information.

Note: we are unable to take more volunteers right now.