Newcomer Support

Ahmed* is a father to six beautiful children. In 2014, he made the difficult decision of leaving his country of Syria, in search of a safe home for his family. Packing just a few personal belongings with him, Ahmed, his wife, and their six children made their way, by car, to Turkey. As the family nervously drove to Turkey, their vehicle came under attack, and Ahmed’s youngest daughter, Reem*, was separated from her family. No one knew if Reem was alive, or if she had survived the attack. In 2017, IFSSA supported the sponsorship of Ahmed’s family to come to Canada. A few months into their settlement, the family received a life-changing phone call: their daughter, Reem, was alive and in Europe. IFSSA, along with Catholic Social Services, responded quickly to help Ahmed submit his daughter’s application for settlement in Canada, under the one-year window opportunity. With perseverance and prayer, IFSSA was able to submit this application for Ahmed. As of today, the application has passed the first stage of approval by the Office of Resettlement Operations in Ottawa, and is pending approval by the Visa Office in Vienna. God willing, and with much hope, Ahmed will be reunited with his daughter once again, after years of separation.
*NAME CHANGED FOR CONFIDENTIALITY 
All of IFSSA’s programs are open to newcomers, from food hampers to workshops. IFSSA can help newcomers with navigating resources, finding classes, and increasing their independence. If you are a newcomer and would like assistance settling into Edmonton, please contact our our helpline or email us at info@islamicfamily.ca

REFUGEE SPONSORSHIP

IFSSA is a federally-approved Sponsorship Agreement Holder (SAH) able to sponsor refugees with strong connections to the Edmonton community. IFSSA provides support to private refugee sponsors throughout the application process. Since 2015, IFSSA has sponsored more than 373 refugees through partnerships with the Mennonite Central Committee and the Catholic Archdiocese.

When newcomers arrive in Edmonton, IFSSA arranges initial and follow-up home visits to check in on refugees’ settlement and integration. We help refugee clients access services at IFSSA, refer them to other agencies as needed, and host workshops and individual support for financial planning, language development, and work preparation. Our refugee programming is planned and implemented in partnership with other city agencies, in response to demands and emerging needs in the refugee community. We emphasize the need to ensure newcomer clients do well beyond their first 12 months of support in Edmonton.

I WANT TO SPONSOR A FAMILY

If you are interested in sponsoring a refugee family, IFSSA can guide you through the application process and would be happy to answer any sponsorship-related questions you may have. The government criteria for refugee sponsorship are available here. Other available resources include the Refugee Sponsorship Training Program and the Alberta Association of Immigrant Serving Agencies.
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