New Resource for Refugee Claimants

Imagine swimming upstream through a medicine20.org dark maze. You only have a certain amount of time to reach the end successfully, and your life depends on it….

Seeking refugee protection in Canada can feel like going through a turbulent, watery maze. People who desperately need help face a system with tight time frames and complex procedures. This system, full of cultural and legal nuances, can be hard to understand and difficult to navigate. People seeking refugee protection often feel disoriented, and like they’re on the verge of drowning.

Kinbrace’s commitment to provide people in Canada’s refugee protection system with housing, orientation, accompaniment, and education is more than a commitment to simply keeping people afloat. We work to help refugee claimants navigate through Canada’s complicated protection process.

If you haven’t seen our new navigation resource for refugee claimants – recently launched in Metro Vancouver and Toronto – I invite you to have a look now.

Refugee Hearing Preparation: A Guide for Refugee Claimants (RHP Guide) is an innovative educational tool designed to help refugee claimants further understand the refugee determination system and increase their capacity to prepare for their refugee hearings.  Simply written and colourfully illustrated, the RHP Guide is available in four languages for Metro Vancouver (English, Spanish, Chinese, Arabic) and in English for Toronto.

Kinbrace developed the RHP Guide in collaboration with dedicated supporters, including:  the Law Foundation of BC, UNHCR, Canadian Council for Refugees, Canadian Baptists of Western Canada, and other key partners.

What makes the RHP Guide practical and unique?  Inside you’ll find:

• an overview of key legal issues
• interactive timelines
• strategies to prepare for a refugee hearing
• answers to FAQs
• lists of legal and community resources
• and much more.

In the short time the RHP Guide has been available, refugee claimants, lawyers, service providers, and others have spoken to the value of this new resource.

“Some refugee claims fail for lack of preparation or key evidence.  Using the RHP Guide will save lives.”  Peter Showler, Director, The Refugee Forum, University of Ottawa; former Chairperson, Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada

Beyond being a potential life-saver, the RHP Guide is an excellent primer for Canadians who want to understand how our refugee protection system works.  You can read or print a copy here.