We are proud to live in a country that welcomes refugees and other newcomers, it is at the heart of who we are as Canadians. But in recent years, the Canadian government has slashed refugee programs. The Group of Five and Community Sponsorship Program, which accounted for about 40 per cent of the privately sponsored refugees entering Canada, was “paused” for one year in 2025. … Continue reading Better Together
More than 7 in 10 of the world’s refugees and displaced populations came from just six countries in 2025. That’s the key finding in the UNHCR Global Trends Report released in June.
The six countries are:
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Four years ago, Nest received a letter from an Israeli woman named Sharon (unknown to Nest members), asking if we would consider sponsoring “an exceptionally talented and brilliant young man” named Adil, a Sudanese refugee from Darfur living in Israel. At the age of 17, Adil was forced to flee his village of Golo in Darfur, when the Janjaweed attacked in 2003. He sought safety … Continue reading It began with a letter
A group of Canadians, mostly from Saskatchewan, sent an Open Letter to Prime Minister Mark Carney today (May 11) urging the government to keep human rights issues at the forefront of all discussions with the Eritrean government.
“We are deeply concerned the Government of Canada is making diplomatic overtures to the brutal Eritrean dictatorship of Isaias Afwerki, while ignoring the country’s human rights abuses,” the Open Letter states.
Continue reading “Open Letter to Prime Minister re: Eritrea”
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.
Continue reading “Nest donors amaze us”
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.
Continue reading “Coming soon!”
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.
Continue reading “Cuts “deeply disappointing””
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
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
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
