Civil society organizations and collective sponsorship of refugees in Quebec

Abstract

This chapter explores the involvement of civil society organizations (CSOs) in the collective sponsorship of refugees in Quebec. By focusing on organizations with significant experience in facilitating and supporting sponsorships, the authors investigate their roles and some of the challenges they face. The authors provide an overview of key actors in collective sponsorship and explain five key roles within the collective sponsorship ecosystem, showing that the role of private sponsors goes beyond basic service delivery as they play different roles such as mediators, advocates for refugee rights and initiators of policy changes. Then, they highlight recent developments in Quebec and discuss the specific challenges faced by organizations involved in collective sponsorship including how the government has regulated and constrained sponsorship efforts. The authors conclude by identifying how increased collaboration between CSOs and the government could improve the sponsorship program.