Fostering better integration through youth-led refugee sponsorship

Year Published:

Abstract

World University Service of Canada (WUSC) participates in private sponsorship as a sponsorship agreement holder through its Student Refugee Program. More than ninety campus-based constituent groups known as WUSC Local Committees resettle approximately 130 refugee students to Canadian post-secondary institutions each year. This article seeks to assess the effectiveness of the Student Refugee Program’s youth-to-youth sponsorship model in integrating former refugees into their receiving communities. We outline the impact of the Student Refugee Program upon its beneficiaries, the important role youth volunteers play in supporting their integration and building more welcoming communities for newcomers in Canada, and the effect of the program on receiving societies. We conclude with recommendations for scaling up the program in Canada and sharing the model internationally

Citation

Relevant Evidence Summaries

The evidence was reviewed and included in the following summaries: 

What strategies can help newcomers with social integration?

There is strong evidence that peer mentoring and support groups with established immigrants can support social integration of recently arrived newcomers from the same ethnic group. Studies show that peer support groups provide needed social capital and resource sharing to recently arrived refugees and other newcomers.   There is moderate evidence that peer mentoring with…

About this study

AGE: Adults

DIRECTION OF EVIDENCE: Positive impact

FULL TEXT AVAILABILITY: Paid

GENDER: All

HOST COUNTRY: Canada

HOST COUNTRY INCOME: High Income

INTERVENTION DURATION: 1 year

INTERVENTION: Host community mentoring

JOURNAL NAME: Refuge

OUTCOME AREA: Mentoring

POPULATION: Refugees

REGION OF ORIGIN OF PARTICIPANT(S): Multiple

STRENGTH OF EVIDENCE: Suggestive

TYPE OF STUDY: Suggestive evidence

YEAR PUBLISHED: 2019

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