Private Refugee Sponsorship in Canada

Private Refugee Sponsorship in Canada: 2021 Market Study

Given the high profile that refugee resettlement received over the past five or so years, it is not surprising that there is widespread public awareness. More than eight in ten Canadians say they know their country accepts refugees from Syria and other countries for permanent resettlement, and one quarter know or believe there are refugees currently living in their own community.

What is the potential interest in getting involved in sponsoring a refugee or refugee family? Among Canadians in the target population (who have not already become involved), close to one-fifth say they could definitely (2%) or likely (15%) see themselves participating in the program at some point over the next few years. This translates into a pool of approximately four million Canadians who are open to potential recruitment into the program (with more than 450,000 in the “definite” consideration category).

Canadians who would consider getting involved in refugee sponsorship are open to helping in a variety of ways. Among options presented, Canadians expressed the strongest interest in helping with language training and assistance with paperwork, but many also identified such tasks as driving refugees to appointments, helping with education, skills training and finding employment. Some expressed a preference for interacting directly with refugees while others would prefer working in the background, but a plurality say they are fine with taking on both roles.

The research consisted of a survey conducted online with a representative sample of 3,000 Canadians ages 25 and over and with household incomes of $30,000 or more (includes roughly 24 million individuals). The survey was administered by Maru/Blue using their proprietary panel between January 27 and February 5, 2021, with the sample stratified to ensure representation by province, age, and gender, according to the most recent population statistics (2016 Census). The survey was conducted in English and French (as per the respondent’s preference).