Part of providing refugees with protection is also trying to find them a "durable solution". There are three durable solutions, voluntary repatriation - when a refugee is able to return in safety and dignity to his/her country of origin, local integration - when a refugee is able to remain in his/her country of asylum and resettlement.
Each year resettlement is a solution for about one percent of the world's refugees. As a result, it is only pursued for those refugees with no other durable solution. Resettlement is not an international obligation. Instead it is a way in which states provide international responsibility sharing.
Refugee resettlement has been an important part of Canada's response to refugees. Canada is one of the largest resettlement countries. Canada has two resettlement programs: a "government-assisted" resettlement program, which is sponsored by the federal government, and a "private sponsorship" program, through which funds are raised from private groups to provide financial and integration assistance for resettlement in Canada. The targets for each program in 2008 are 7,300 - 7,500 government-assisted refugees and 3,300 - 4,500 privately sponsored refugees.
All refugees resettled to Canada must be determined by a Canadian Foreign Service Officer to be eligible (be a refugee and have no other durable solution) and admissible (meet Canadian medical, criminal and security requirements). Canada relies for the most part on UNHCR to identify refugees needing resettlement to Canada. Canada has also been a supporter of a number of important international initiatives, such as dealing with protracted refugee situations with a view to finding lasting solutions.
Canada provides a variety of reception and integration services to resettled refugees under its settlement programs, such as income support, temporary accommodation, assistance finding long term housing, community orientation, employment counselling, language training, and health services.
March 2008. By Justin Mohammed, UNHCR Ottawa
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| Assistant High Commissioner Erika Feller (right) meets resettled refugees in Canada © UNHCR/G.Nyembwe |
