Canada’s private sponsorship program: Success, shortcomings, and policy solutions

This RCIS working paper by Ervis Martani evaluates Canada's Private Sponsorship of Refugees (PSR) program, identifying it as the longest-running and most successful model of its kind in the world. Established under the 1976 Immigration Act, the program operates on the principles of additionality—meaning private sponsorships are over and above government quotas—and the "naming" principle, which allows sponsors to identify specific refugees for resettlement. The author reviews the program's significant achievements, such as resettling over 327,000 refugees since 1979 and granting newcomers immediate permanent residency, while also addressing critical implementation issues like long processing times and the complex "Echo effect" of family reunification. Despite international praise for the program's ability to foster better economic and social integration compared to government-assisted models, Martani identifies a growing "protection-integration gap" caused by recent policy shifts toward stricter eligibility criteria. Ultimately, the paper provides a series of policy recommendations aimed at maintaining the program’s community-driven spirit while ensuring it remains a flexible and robust tool for global refugee protection.