(from Citizenship & Immigration
Q2. What is meant by
government-assisted refugees?
Government-assisted refugees are Convention Refugees Abroad and members of
the Source Country Class whose initial
resettlement in
Refugees selected for resettlement to
Refugee Protection in
Protection is conferred when the IRB
determines that they are a Convention refugee or person in need of protection.
A Convention refugee is a person who is
outside of their country of nationality or habitual residence and who is unable
or unwilling to return to that country because of a well-founded fear of
persecution for reasons of race, religion, political opinion, nationality or
membership in a particular social group.
Person in need of protection
A person in need of protection is a person
in
Protected person
A protected person can either be a Convention
refugee or a person in need of protection.
Cases not sent to the IRB
The following categories of persons are
not eligible to have a claim referred to the IRB:
§
Persons recognized as Convention refugees by
another country to which they can be returned;
§
Persons already determined to be protected
persons under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act or its
regulations;
§
Persons who arrived in Canada, directly or
indirectly, from a country other than their country of nationality or former
habitual residence and designated by the Immigration and Refugee Protection
Act regulations;
§
Persons who were determined to be inadmissible
on grounds of security, human rights violations, serious criminality or
organized criminality;
§
Persons who had a previous refugee protection
claim rejected by the IRB;
§
Persons who had a previous refugee protection
claim determined to be ineligible for referral to the IRB; or
§
Persons who had a previous refugee protection
claim withdrawn or abandoned.
Q3. What kind of support are they provided?
The Resettlement Assistance Program (RAP) provides
government-assisted refugees with immediate resettlement assistance in the form
of support services and income support.
Immediate and essential support services provided under RAP
may include:
- airport reception;
- temporary accommodation and assistance in finding
permanent accommodation;
- help with registration for mandatory federal and
provincial programs;
- non-financial orientation, including safety contacts
and emergency services, public transportation, education system, knowledge
of the city of destination, Canadian laws and customs, and climate;
- financial orientation such as budgeting, setting up a
bank account, and use of debit and credit card; and
- referrals to other
settlement programs.
Income support is provided under the RAP to those eligible
government-assisted refugees who lack the resources to provide for their own
basic needs. This support is provided in the form of a one-time initial
household start-up allowance and a monthly income support payment. The
level of income support is guided by the prevailing provincial social
assistance rates in their province of residence.
Q4. Is the support the same across
The RAP support services provided to government assisted
refugees are the same across
In most cases, the first month’s income support payment
is larger because it includes additional funds provided on a one-time
basis for basic household start-up needs on top of the standard monthly
income support amount for food and shelter.
Q5. How is this start-up funding broken down?
The one-time start-up amount provided is used to cover:
- Basic household needs – to purchase, usually
by CIC through a standing offer, a basic furniture package that
includes a bed, table and chairs, bed linens, basic window coverings
and common household products such as kitchen utensils, pots and pans
and brooms.
- Staple allowance – to purchase
various items to set up a household such as food staples (flour, sugar,
condiments, etc.) and cleaning/living items (laundry detergent and
cleaning products).
- Clothing allowance – to provide for the
most basic clothing needs.
- Winter clothing allowance – to cover the
cost of a winter coat, boots, hat, etc. (this clothing may be
provided to a refugee at the port of entry if the person arrives during
winter months).
Q6. Do large and small families get the same amount of
money?
The rates provided for household start-up will vary by family
size. There are also other special allowances that may be provided
depending on circumstances.
Q7. What are these special allowances?
The special allowances include:
- an allowance for children under six years of age;
- a school start-up allowance for children attending school
from kindergarten to Grade 13;
- a maternity allowance for pregnant women; and
- a newborn allowance to allow
a family to purchase clothing and furniture for their child.
Q8. How long does the support provided to
government-assisted refugees last?
Income support can last up to one year from the date of
arrival in Canada, or until the refugee is able to support himself or herself,
whichever happens first. Special-needs clients selected under the Joint Assistance Sponsorship program may
receive RAP income support for up to 24 months or more. The vast majority
of refugees, however, receive assistance only for 12 months or less.
Support services provided under the RAP are generally
delivered within the first four to six weeks after the government-assisted
refugee arrives in
Q9. Is all of the support to government-assisted refugees
provided by the government?
Support services for government-assisted refugees are
provided by service provider organizations located throughout
Income support for government-assisted refugees is provided
directly by the Government of Canada.
Q10. Is resettlement assistance provided to refugee
claimants or privately sponsored refugees?
No. Refugee claimants have not been selected for resettlement
and are therefore not eligible to receive any sort of resettlement assistance
either in the form of income support or services support.
As for privately sponsored refugees, it is the responsibility
of the sponsoring group and not the Government of Canada to complete a
settlement plan that outlines the arrangements to be put in place for the
sponsored refugees. This includes helping them find suitable housing, learn
English or French, get a job, make friends, and learn about Canadian culture
and values as well as the services available in the community. The sponsoring
group must also provide for the reception, care, lodging and settlement
assistance for the sponsored refugees in the expected community of settlement
for a period of 12 months (or longer in exceptional circumstances, if
agreed to by the sponsoring group) from the date of arrival of the refugee or
until the refugee becomes self-supporting and no longer requires settlement
assistance, whichever is less.
In some cases a cost-sharing arrangement can be undertaken
which involves the federal government providing some financial support to
assist in the privately sponsored refugee's initial resettlement. As well,
privately sponsored refugees and their sponsors may have access to some of the
orientation services provided to RAP clients.
For more information on Private Sponsorship of Refugees
program, see: www.cic.gc.ca/english/refugees/private-faq.html
Q11. A widely circulated e-mail alleges that
government-assisted refugees receive much more income support and benefits than
Canadian pensioners. Is this accurate?
The e-mail comparing pensioners to refugees
contains misinformation that implies that government-assisted refugees
receive far higher monthly income support amounts than is in fact the case. The
amount of monthly income support provided to government-assisted refugees is
based on prevailing provincial social assistance rates and provides the minimum
amount required to cover only the most basic food and shelter needs.
It should be noted as well that refugees selected for
resettlement to
In keeping with