Nest donors amaze us

Once again Nest donors showed their outstanding support for refugee settlement in Saskatoon.

In one month, 93 Nest supporters pledged $60,000 to sponsor: Moises, a single Venezuelan refugee with relatives in Saskatoon; Hiba and Jasim, a young Sudanese couple, and a Sudanese family of five consisting of Ali, Jadda and their three children.

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Coming soon!

A Sudanese family who lost everything in the war are preparing to start their new life in Saskatoon next month.

When war broke out in Sudan on April 15, 2023, it began near the Abu Adam neighbourhood of Khartoum, an area adjacent to two Sudanese army camps, an ammunition and missile factory and gas and fuel depots. This is where Ahmed Saeed lived with his wife Malaz and their two sons.

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Cuts “deeply disappointing”

For every 100 immigrants arriving in Canada this year, only 9 are refugees. That number will be even less in 2026, due to more government cuts to the refugee resettlement program.

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Showing Canada’s face

This is a story about Canada’s response to two humanitarian crises. The first in Afghanistan, the second in Sudan. It’s a story of success and failure. When the Afghan government collapsed and the Taliban returned to power in August 2021, the country plunged into a humanitarian crisis. The Canadian government responded quickly, promising to resettle 40,000 Afghans in Canada through special humanitarian programs. Among the … Continue reading Showing Canada’s face

Seeking asylum is not a crime

As the Canadian government discusses plans to tighten security along the Canada/ US border and make it more difficult for people to claim asylum, it is worth remembering that seeking asylum is not a crime. It is a fundamental human right enshrined in the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the 1951 Refugee Convention. Canada is a signatory to both. In 2023, more than … Continue reading Seeking asylum is not a crime

An unwelcome decision

Opinion by Beth Smillie The federal government’s decision to stop new refugee applications from Groups of Five and Community Sponsors until January 2026 is another blow to the once vaunted Canadian private sponsorship program. The global refugee crisis has more than doubled in scope over the last decade. As a nation, we should be rising to the challenge, not blocking the few paths available to … Continue reading An unwelcome decision

Family reunited!

Relatives and Nest members welcomed an Eritrean family of four to Saskatoon on November 7, 2024, capping a six-year effort to bring the two sisters and the two children to the city. They were reunited with their brother Zemichael and aunt Saba Andu. Nest originally sponsored Tsega and her two children in 2018. But the application was rejected. Nest tried again in 2020 and added … Continue reading Family reunited!

Your donations at work!

Nest is financially supporting several refugee sponsorships this year. One family fled the violence in Sudan and the other fled the return of the Taliban in Afghanistan. Your donations are needed and appreciated.

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Reconsideration urged

An Eritrean refugee and her daughter, who have suffered hardship and displacement, have been denied asylum in Canada. Nest is dismayed by the decision and has asked the Visa Officer to reconsider.

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Sisters and their families reunited

Two sisters and their families waited more than three years to be reunited in Saskatoon. But the wait finally ended on February 25, when Noor tearfully greeted her sister Sura and and nephew Namer at the airport. Nest sponsored Noor and her son Yazan in 2015 through the Canadian government’s Blended Visa Office Referred (BVOR) Program. They were Iraqi refugees in Kuwait. Nest applied to … Continue reading Sisters and their families reunited