Of the more than 10 million refugees from around the world,
the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees
or UNHCR estimates that at least 800,000 of them
will eventually need to resettle to another country, like Canada.
Many Canadians want to help!
The Government of Canada has introduced
a unique program to help refugees.
The Blended Visa Office-Referred program makes it easier
for private sponsors to provide support... to refugees in need.
I went to Syria looking for hope for a better life for my family.
So, I have been there for four years
and this is the miracle that's done to me, to my family.
And there's a church in Canada, they want to sponsor to me.
So, it was great.
Canada has one of the most generous
refugee systems in the world.
We welcome roughly one in 10 resettled refugees - more than
almost any other industrialized country in the world.
Once in Canada, government-assisted refugees
receive initial support from the government,
while others receive support from private sponsors,
like religious, ethno-cultural or humanitarian organizations.
These private sponsors provide financial,
social and emotional support to help refugees
build a new life in Canada.
You sign up.
You have to be there to help the family
or the person that you've sponsored.
It's a commitment.
So you have to be prepared to make a commitment,
know what you're getting involved in,
but also realize what a difference you can make
in a person's life... so you want to make a commitment,
but it's also very rewarding when you see them
become such strong people in your community.
Under this program, the government and private sponsors
enter into a partnership to assist UNHCR-referred refugees.
Here's how the Blended Visa-Office Referred
or Blended VOR program works.
First, refugees are referred for resettlement
to Canada by the UNHCR.
Overseas, a Canadian visa officer assesses the refugee.
If they are accepted, some of their information
is made available to private sponsors in Canada
who are looking to sponsor a refugee.
Once a match is made, the Government of Canada
will provide up to six months of income support.
Private sponsors will provide another six months
of financial support and up to a year of social
and emotional support to the new arrival.
Canada aims to resettle up to 1,000 refugees
by 2015 through the Blended VOR Program.
They changed our life...
we were someone is dying and someone helps you,
save you from the death to the life, from the dark,
you can't see anything, to the light.
This is the real, really the sponsor, because they,
they want to live a better life for you and your family.
The Blended VOR program is open to Sponsorship Agreement Holders
and their Constituent Groups.
Here's how you can get involved.
If you are a Constituent Group,
contact your Sponsorship Agreement Holder.
A list of over 80 agreement holders is available
on the Citizenship and Immigration Canada website.
Click on sponsor a refugee to see the list.
If your organization does not have an agreement
with Citizenship and Immigration Canada,
information on how to apply for one can be found
on the Citizenship and Immigration website
by clicking on how to become a Sponsorship Agreement Holder.
The Government of Canada is committed to helping
persecuted individuals in need of refuge and looks forward
to working with you through this program.
I want to send message for them.
Please, there's many families that
are looking for hope to, to help them.
For more information on the Blended VOR Program,
visit the CIC website at www.cic.gc.ca