Our Story
2022
The Refugee Hub supports the design and launch of the “Homes for Ukraine” and “Uniting for Ukraine” private sponsorship programs in the UK and the US. 200,000+ Ukrainian refugees are within six months.
The Third-Country Solutions Identification and Referral Network co-chaired by the Refugee Hub is endorsed by the US Government at the Annual Tripartite Consultations on Resettlement.
The Refugee Hub launches the Resettlement Plus knowledge sharing platform in pathways to refugee protection.
The Third-Country Solutions Identification and Referral Network co-chaired by the Refugee Hub is endorsed by the US Government at the Annual Tripartite Consultations on Resettlement.
The Refugee Hub launches the Resettlement Plus knowledge sharing platform in pathways to refugee protection.
2021
The Refugee Hub supports the designs and launch of the Sponsor Circle Program for Afghans and Welcome.US, emergency responses to mobilize thousands of people in the US to welcome and support Afghan evacuees.
The Shapiro Foundation becomes the sixth partner of the Global Refugee Sponsorship Initiative.
The Refugee Hub together with partners from Belgium, Ireland, and Italy launch the EU-PASSWORLD project on widening Complementary Pathways linked to Community Sponsorship in Europe.
The two-year research EU Sustainable Practices of Integration (SPRING) project launches with a consortium of 9 European partners, with the Refugee Hub as the international project partner. The Refugee Hub launches a qualitative research project focusing on how the Canadian refugee sponsorship program facilitates integration of refugee newcomers as its main project contribution.
The Refugee Hub with partners organizes a global research colloquium on refugee sponsorship. Taking place across an opening symposium, 8 workshops and a final symposium, the colloquium brings together refugee leaders, policy experts, and practitioners from around the world for cutting-edge dialogue and knowledge exchange.
2020
The Refugee Hub and the GRSI established the COVID-19 response series to facilitate dialogue with the global community sponsorship community on responding to immediate and emerging needs, preserving resettlement and sponsorship systems, and growing protection opportunities amid the pandemic. The workshop drew 300+ participants from 17+ countries, and included the first-ever Global Summit of Community Sponsors.
Belgium designs and launches a new community sponsorship pilot with the support of the Refugee Hub via the GRSI.
The Refugee Hub partners with the Migration Policy Institute (MPI) Europe to conduct a global mapping of refugee resettlement and complementary pathways. The analysis, commissioned by UNHCR, draws on +120 interviews with UNHCR offices, government officials, civil society, higher education institutions, and employers in Asia and the Pacific, Europe, and the Americas. The final report is published in 2021.
2019
The Refugee Hub launched the 2019 Blended Visa Office-Referred (BVOR) Fund following the success of the previous year’s fund, culminating in more than $7M raised to support the sponsorship of close to 2,000 additional refugees to Canada.
Germany designs and launches a new community sponsorship program, “Neustart Im Team” (NesT) with the support of the Refugee Hub via GRSI.
The Refugee Hub supports the launch of the GRSI Sponsorship States Network co-chaired by Canada and the UK on the margins of the Global Refugee Forum in Geneva.
2018
The Refugee Hub launches the inaugural BVOR Fund in partnership with Jewish Family Services and founding donors the Shapiro Foundation and the Giustra Foundation.
Ireland, New Zealand, and the Basque Country in Spain design and launch community sponsorship programs with the support of the Refugee Hub via the GRSI.
2017
The Refugee Hub launched the Canadian Cross-Border Legal Coalition (CCBLC) in partnership with the Canadian Association of Refugee Lawyers, the Canadian Civil Liberties Association, the British Columbia Civil Liberties Association, and colleagues in the US to coordinate a network of Canadian lawyers working to help those impacted by the US President’s Executive Order banning entry to the US by individuals from seven Muslim-majority countries, including refugees. The CCBLC was the recipient of the Ontario Bar Association’s President’s Award.
The Refugee Hub partners with the Global Policy Initiative at Columbia University to provide input on the development of the Global Compacts on Refugees and Migration.
2016
The UK designs and launches a new Community Sponsorship Scheme with the support of the Refugee Hub via the GRSI.
The Refugee Hub helps form the Global Refugee Sponsorship Initiative (GRSI), a multi-level, public private partnership with the Government of Canada, UNHCR, Open Society Foundations, and the Giustra Foundation created to support other countries that want to establish community sponsorship programs.
2015
The Refugee Hub launches the Refugee Sponsorship Support Program (SSP) in response to the surge in demand for private sponsorship, recruiting and training +1,400 Canadian lawyers and law students to support those looking to sponsor refugees to Canada.
Refugee Hub Founder and Managing Director Jennifer Bond is seconded to the office of the Canadian Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship as a Special Advisor on “Operation Syrian Refugee,” a project which engaged over 2M Canadians and brought over 40,000 refugees to Canada in under 4 months.
2012
With UORAP, the RLRT, and the Canadian Association of Refugee Lawyers established a year earlier, the University of Ottawa campus boasts one of the largest refugee law programs in Canada.
In partnership with the Law Foundation of Ontario, the Refugee Hub launches the University of Ottawa Refugee Assistance Project (UORAP) to address key access to justice challenges for asylum seekers in Canada.
The Refugee Law Research Team (RLRT) is formed in response to increased interest in refugee-related issues on campus at the University of Ottawa.
The Refugee Hub is formally launched as a project of the University of Ottawa.
2011
We play an active role in establishing the Canadian Association of Refugee Lawyers, a national organization mandated to research, litigate, and advocate on refugee rights, forced migrants, and related issues.