Resources & Information

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.

Referrals to Journey Home Community.

  • At Journey Home Community, we provide housing, support and orientation to those who are in our housing program. If you are a newly arrived refugee claimant you may qualify for our transitional housing program, we invite you to fill out our online referral form. As we are not a shelter, please do not come to our office to see about a space.

    Fill Out Referral Form

    For those not supported by Journey Home Community's program, we highly recommend you connect with S.O.S., Mosaic or Options, who can help orient you and connect you to some resources.

  • If you are in contact with a refugee claimant and trying to help direct them, we appreciate that you are trying to do what you can to help.

    You are welcome to support them in filling out our referral form which you can find here.

    Fill Out Referral Form

    There has been a growing number of refugee claimants arriving in BC annually over the past several years. In 2024 we are estimated to receive over 10,000 refugee claimants in BC. There is not one centralized place where all refugee claimants can be supported and housed in BC and when they arrive they are facing the same housing crisis as the rest of our province. After enduring the persecution that caused refugee claimants to flee their country and their, often onerous journey to get to Canada they are now hit with the reality that they likely need to find a space in one of the shelters and continue their journey of transition a while longer.

    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.

    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 the same situation and the wait can be long before accessing stable housing. 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 you care about supporting refugees through one of their greatest needs.

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.

Learn Canada’s Refugee Program

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