Guide to the Private Sponsorship of Refugees Program
3. Additional Sponsorship Opportunities
3.3 Urgent Protection Program
The Urgent Protection Program (UPP) was developed to enable Canada to respond to requests by referral organizations, such as the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), to provide rapid resettlement for refugees in urgent need of protection. Members of the Convention Refugees Abroad or Humanitarian Protected Persons Abroad classes who qualify for resettlement and are in need of urgent protection because of immediate threats to life, liberty or physical well-being are resettled on the expedited basis required by their particular circumstances. Where there is no other way to guarantee the security of the person concerned, resettlement is the best and often the only protection response.
The UNHCR or another recognized referral organization will refer UPP cases to Canadian visa offices abroad. Thereafter, a decision to resettle the refugee is made within 24-48 hours. CIC tries to ensure that these cases are en route to Canada within three to five days of referral to the mission or, given local challenges, as soon as possible. Where CIC is unable to provide immediate protection, the referral organization is notified so that resettlement to another country may be considered.
For privately sponsored refugees who are in urgent need of protection, the applicant must present himself/herself to the UNHCR for an assessment. It is the mandate of the UNHCR or other designated referral agency to provide protection in the country of refuge. Should the UNHCR find the applicant to be in need of urgent protection, it will advise the visa office which will proceed as above.
Refugees who are eligible may include, but are not limited to:
- those who are under threat of refoulement, expulsion, prolonged arbitrary detention or extra-judicial execution; or
- those who are facing a real, direct threat to their physical safety, which could result in their being killed or subjected to abduction, rape, sexual abuse, violence or torture.
UPP cases are designated as government-assisted refugees and some may be identified as JAS cases. Where urgent protection cases require a sponsor, but one has not been identified before their departure, the refugees will be sent to cities with reception centres and where a sponsor is likely to be found. They will remain in the reception centres for counselling and orientation while waiting to be matched with a private sponsoring group. When a sponsor is identified, UPP cases will be sent to their final destination. If the refugee is matched with a sponsor prior to departure for Canada, the refugee will go directly to the sponsor’s community. If refugees have family in Canada, efforts will be made to ensure that they are sent to their family’s community.
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