FCJ REFUGEE CENTRE AN INTEGRATED MODEL OF REFUGEE

FCJ REFUGEE CENTRE: AN INTEGRATED MODEL OF REFUGEE CLAIMANT SETTLEMENT

WHO WE ARE: • non-profit organization which serves refugees and others at risk due to their immigration status • We welcome anyone asking for advice, counsel and support regarding these issues

We address systemic issues that newly arrived refugee claimants face in Canada including lack of resources, marginalization, and discrimination.

Who We Are We provide transitional housing for woman refugee claimants, uprooted women and their children We encourage people to pursue their claims in ways that contribute to their success

The FCJ Refugee Centre has a mandate to: Provide shelter for women and children

Our Integration program: We provide affordable housing to newcomer women and their children

Mandate Assist refugees and other uprooted people to adjust to Canadian society

Philosophy Provide orientation in a supportive community Help refugees and/or any uprooted person to become productive members of society

Philosophy Helps them avoid falling into a cycle of poverty and dependence on the welfare state. Follows the journey that refugee claimants make as a continuum from the time they make the claim at the border until they become a permanent resident of Canada

Structure Operating a project like the FCJ Refugee Centre requires: Board of Directors with a strong vision about the work of refugee organizations Staff and volunteers who are able to make this vision a reality People who support the vision through their generous donations a strong vision about the work of refugee organizations

The programs: Popular Education Administration and Fundraising Integration Protection Networking

Our Integration program: Women’s programs: These have included ongoing groups for support and Information – sharing, counseling and referrals to mental health services as well as training in income generation, for example through small craft sales

Our Integration program: Education, counseling and other support services: including interpretation and translation services, referral to legal assistance and other social services, employment, training, as well as workshops on life in Canada, in order to assist people as they adjust to Canadian society.

PROTECTION PROGRAM This component involves inland activities related to case work at every step of the refugee or immigration determination process. From information-gathering delegations to other countries, to collaborations with local NGOs, all activities are geared toward greater access and equity.

Popular Education Workshops to: frontline workers and refugees

Popular Education Ø Website—a resource for frontline workers and refugees (www. fcjrefugeecentre. org) Ø Refugee Update – a newsletter

Networking q Practical networking: on-going legal support for refugee frontline workers and refugee claimants. q Members of coalitions dedicated to making the refugee process more just and more humane. (CCR, OCASI, TRAC, etc. ) q Grassroots analysis of the immigration and refugee situation in Canada q Encourage people to advocate on behalf of refugees through mass media (interviews, etc. )