“Humanity must prevail”

Amnesty International is demanding Canada and other countries support the full cessation of violence between Israel and Hamas and allow humanitarian aid into the besieged Gaza Strip. Amnesty made the call in a petition launched October 26. Sign the petition. The Hamas-run Gaza health ministry stated on October 24 that 6,446 Palestinians have been killed and more than 17,000 injured by Israeli airstrikes since the … Continue reading “Humanity must prevail”

The smiling face of. . .

This is the smiling face of Canadian citizenship. More than a dozen refugees sponsored by Nest over the last five years are now Canadian citizens! Saw Eh Klu (pictured here) is the most recent. Nest and the Anglican Diocese sponsored Saw Eh Klu to Saskatoon in November 2018. He is a Karen refugee from Myanmar who lived in a refugee camp in Thailand for more … Continue reading The smiling face of. . .

Open Letter to PM calls for urgent action

The Canadian government needs to take urgent action to help civilians trapped in Sudan after a deadly power struggle erupted in April between the Sudanese army and a rival militia group. That is the key message contained in an Open Letter to the Prime Minister of Canada and opposition leaders. The letter, which was sent today, is organized by Nest Saskatoon and Sudanese Canadians in the … Continue reading Open Letter to PM calls for urgent action

The new kids in town!

It’s likely a good thing Saskatoon’s Catriona Le May Doan has retired, after capturing 25 gold medals in speed skating. There are two new kids in the city, stepping out on the ice and turning heads. Viola and Yola, along with their parents Ruda and Yubis arrived in Saskatoon in late October. The family, Sudanese refugees, have spent the last decade in Israel seeking asylum … Continue reading The new kids in town!

Social shines!

Thank you to everyone who participated in our Nest Celebrate Summer Social in Osler on July 17. We sold 148 tickets and from all reports everyone enjoyed the gorgeous afternoon at the Buhler Gardens and their visits to three other gardens. A special thank you to Ruth and Wilf Buhler, Helena Enns, Diane McKinnell and Robin Neudorf for allowing us to show and share their … Continue reading Social shines!

Nest provides asylum to women activists

Nest is working to sponsor women activists from Afghanistan and Sudan, who were forced to flee their homes due to their work for women’s equality. Nest is sponsoring Maryam, her spouse and two small children. Maryam (pictured here) is an Afghan journalist specializing in gender and human rights. She also is a member of the persecuted Hazara minority. When the Taliban took power on August … Continue reading Nest provides asylum to women activists

Petition urges Afghan action

A group called Change.org is calling on the Canadian government to change two key requirements of the immigration and refugee program to address the Afghan crisis and allow more Afghans to get to Canada. In a petition to the Canadian government, the group says the government must remove the language assessment requirement for skilled Afghan workers. “The requirement for English proficiency and biometrics for Skilled … Continue reading Petition urges Afghan action

Which countries stand tallest?

When it comes to hosting refugees, Lebanon stands the tallest. This assessment is based on a report by the Norwegian Refugee Council. The council looked at which countries hosted the most refugees (per capita) between 2010 to 2019. As the Council notes, most of the countries on the top ten list have done so despite facing enormous challenges of their own, including civil wars, Ebola … Continue reading Which countries stand tallest?

Speed-up process, groups say

Nest welcomed two refugee families earlier this year: a family of four from Syria and a single parent and her son from Iraq. That was February.  Then the pandemic hit and refugee resettlement stopped. Instead of welcoming 32,000 asylum seekers in 2020, Canada has admitted about 6,000 refugees this year. Now, eight months after the application process was stopped, refugee resettlement to Canada has resumed, albeit … Continue reading Speed-up process, groups say

Refugee settlement “on hold”

Flights have stopped, embassy interviews cancelled and sponsorship applications are on hold as Canada and the world grapple with the Covid-19 pandemic. The crisis has impacted many of Nest’s sponsorships. Here are a few: Continue reading “Refugee settlement “on hold””