Citizenship and Immigration committee  I was astounded to learn that the rate of acceptance is only about 50%. In comparison, where I work, the rate of acceptance is 100%, but that's because we have extremely strict criteria as to who we allow into our program. We deal, to a large extent, with two refugee camps in Kenya: Kakuma and Dadaab.

Citizenship and Immigration committee  Can I add one other point?

Citizenship and Immigration committee  I think one of the reasons my program at WUSC is a success is that a sponsoring group of students submits an application to sponsor a refugee in November and the refugee arrives in September. There's obviously pre-work that WUSC does, but the turnover is very quick. So there's an immediate engagement.

Citizenship and Immigration committee  To give you all a bit of background on where I'm coming from, I'm part of the United Church, but also, as a result of going on a refugee exposure trip with Heather, which Heather facilitated, to Kenya in the summer of 2005—Prior to that, I was involved in the sponsorship of refugees at McMaster University through an organization called WUSC, World University Service of Canada.

Citizenship and Immigration committee  Migration will be a major issue in this century. We want and need this program to work better. The United Church has several recommendations on this issue. First, invest financial and human resources to reduce processing times and to address the backlog. A humanitarian program that takes three to four years is not humanitarian.

Citizenship and Immigration committee  The United Church requests that you regard us as allies, not adversaries. Consider how many private Canadians were, are, or could be involved, and the difference it makes to the tenor and receptivity of the host community, Canada. Sponsorship is hands-on; it's civil engagement that extends to all parts of the country, costs the government nothing, and builds the cosmopolitan democracy of our future.

Citizenship and Immigration committee  We come here today believing in the potential of this humanitarian admissions program, the private refugee sponsorship. We believe in its ability to engage civil society. Resettlement affords a durable solution to refugees. Private sponsorship in particular facilitates newcomers' integration into Canada and the necessary adaptation of the host community.

Citizenship and Immigration committee  Sponsors do not submit refugee sponsorships to keep busy, to give false hope to refugees, or to waste visa officers' time. We want the program to work, and we're deeply frustrated by high refusal rates that come after years of waiting and often changed circumstances in the country of origin.