For Refugees

For Refugees

There are a growing number of refugee claimants arriving in BC every day. While there is no one centralized system for them to go through and address all of their needs, there are numerous agencies, nonprofits and government resources available to them.

Below you can find a list of resources that Journey Home also references for information.

Refugee Pathways to Canada

Government Assisted Refugees

The government of Canada chooses refugees from around the world and provides an opportunity for them to come to Canada and settle here.

Privately Sponsored Refugees

The government of Canada allows groups of Canadian citizens to sponsor refugees from abroad to come to Canada. These groups of private citizens must show they can financially support the refugee family for their first year in Canada.

Refugee Claimants

The government of Canada provides protection for people who are able to make their own way to Canada to seek asylum. Upon arrival in the country, they declare their intention to make a refugee claim, are given an opportunity to tell their story and a decision is made by the Immigration and Refugee Board as to whether or not they meet the definition of being a refugee. If the decision is positive, they are allowed to remain in Canada and apply for Permanent Residency.

Referrals to Journey Home Community.

We offer a transitional housing program where we can provide refugee claimants short-term emergency housing, settlement support and opportunities for connection. We can receive a referral when a space in one of our housing programs becomes available. We do not have long term or permanent housing to offer.

Our transitional housing program is available to those who are currently in the metro Vancouver area of BC. We are not able to help bring people from other countries to Canada and cannot help refugee families/individuals move within Canada to be part of our program.

We are not able to function as a shelter to house refugees claimants the day they arrive in Canada or the day they are referred to us. We also not able to hold a waiting list.

  • If you are a refugee claimant that is new to the metro Vancouver area in BC, you may qualify for our transitional housing program. As we are not a shelter, you do not need to come to our office to see about a space.

    Please connect with a housing worker at S.O.S. or Mosaic to ensure they are aware that you are a refugee claimant in need of support. They can help you understand the resources available to you as a newcomer to BC. There is a housing referral system called BC Charms for refugee claimants in BC only. A Settlement Worker at one of the above agency's can entered into the BC Charms at your request. There are multiple housing options in the data base, and when a space opens up with Journey Home or with one of the other organizations/landlords they will know to reach out to you.

    When we have a space available we will look at all referrals sent to us and reach out to those families/individuals that fit the space.

  • If you are in contact with a refugee claimaint and trying to help direct them, we appreciate that you are trying to do what you can to help. Referrals to Journey Home Community are received through BC Charms, assessed by the Journey Home team and intakes placed in the space when it is available. See above for more details.

    It might be helpful for you to know that there are very limited housing options available to refugee claimants when they arrive in BC. Refugee Claimaints should all connect with S.O.S., Mosaic or Options as soon as they can for information and resources.

    In the best case a refugee claimant has their own connections or resources for housing when they arrive. Unfortunately, this is rarely the case and most refugee claimants hardly have access to income to cover their food and basic needs.

    From Jan - June 2023 BC has already received 3015 refugee claimants, that's 47% more than the same time last year, and the number continues to grow. There is not one centralized place that refugee claimants can be housed in BC and they are facing the same housing crisis as the rest of our province. Refugee claimants are hit with the reality that they likely need to find a space in one of the shelters in the Lower Mainland and continue in their journey of transition a while longer.

    You could assist them by helping them to call BC 211 and learn if there is a space in a shelter or a more budget friendly hostel. Unfortunately, there are many individuals and families that are in your same situation and the wait can be long and we are seeing more and more refugee claimant families having to sleep on the streets. This is a devastating reality and we wish there is more we could do.

    Journey Home Community commits to operating as many transitional housing units within our capacity as possible and we commit to filling them when they empty as fast as we are able. A big thank you to you, as care brings you to wanting to help refugees through one of their greatest needs.

    To learn more about resources for refugees visit our For Refugees section on our website.