FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

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What is Operation #NotForgotten?

 

“Operation #NotForgotten” is a project developed by two Canadian non-profit organizations, Canada Caring Society and MOSAIC. The goal is to offer hope and a permanent solution to refugees who have been held for the past six years on Manus Island in Papua New Guinea and Nauru and have no viable options available to them.

 

The organizations plan to sponsor up to 200 refugees currently held on Manus Island and Nauru to resettle in Canada under Immigration Canada’s Private Refugee Sponsorship Program. These are refugees who have been identified as having no other durable solution available to them because they are ineligible for the resettlement arrangement Australia has negotiated with the United States.

“Operation #NotForgotten” is endorsed by the Refugee Council of Australia and Amnesty International. Partners in Canada, Australia and around the world will be raising funds to cover the cost to settle in Canada.

 

Volunteers in Canada from across Canada will be trained to form 5-person settlement teams to provide the necessary support for the refugees when they arrive in Canada.

 

Who are the detainees and why are they being detained by the Australian government?

All of the detainees are people who were seeking asylum in Australia. They were detained after an announcement on July 19, 2013 by the Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd. Rudd announced that "asylum seekers who come here by boat without a visa will never be settled in Australia". That policy is still in place today.

Under the Regional Resettlement Arrangement between Australia and Papua New Guinea, all "unauthorised maritime arrivals" were detained  on Manus Island with no possibility of attaining Australian residency. Additional detainees were also transferred to the Australian facility on Nauru. Many have been trapped on the islands for up to six years, in brutal living conditions and with no hope in sight for resettlement to a safe country. 

 

How many men and women are in detention?

 

There are approximately 880 detainees – men and women – on Nauru and in Papua New Guinea (including Manus). Exact numbers are difficult to obtain, but the most recent figures released by the Australian government in May 2019 indicate that there are approximately 350 detainees on Nauru, including 24 women. In Papua New Guinea and Manus, there are approximately 530, all men.

Over 70% of the detainees have been officially recognized as refugees, while others are still waiting for their status determination.

 

Where are the refugees from?

 

The refugees are from countries including Iran, Myanmar, Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, Pakistan and Iraq. Some of them are stateless. They fled war, violence and political and ethnic persecution in their countries and cannot return there.

 

What are the conditions like where the refugees are held?

 

For several years, people sent to Manus Island and Nauru were held in detention facilities described by Amnesty International and others as “open air” prisons and concentration camps. Officially, the detention centres are closed but many of the refugees and asylum seekers remain in camp arrangements with restrictions on movement and little capacity to get on with their lives. Many of them are dealing with mental health issues like depression and anxiety as a result of their lengthy incarceration and their lack of hope for the future.

 

Why are Canadians offering to sponsor the refugees?

Canadians are uniquely positioned to help refugees. Canada has the largest, longest established and most flexible private sponsorship program for refugees, allowing citizens and community groups to come together and sponsor refugees they nominate as needing resettlement. The program was developed in the late 1970s to address the desire by Canadians to assist Vietnamese refugees and the system is still in place today.

Under the private sponsorship program for refugees, the sponsors are responsible for providing all of the necessary funds and settlement support. It is a very cost-effective approach and studies have shown that privately sponsored refugees integrate much more successfully that those who come through the government refugee program. This is primarily because they have a group of people from the community who have agreed to take on the responsibility to assist them with starting their new life in Canada.

 

How much will it cost to sponsor the refugees?

 

Under guidelines established by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada each individual will require $16,500 CAD ($18,000 AUD/$12,500 US) to cover set up costs and support for their first year in Canada.

 

Based on sponsoring 200 individuals, the total amount required would be $3.3 million CAD. Australian citizens who are concerned about the welfare of the detainees have already raised over $100,000.

 

What settlement support would be required for the refugees after they arrive in Canada?

Each refugee will be assigned a settlement support team of five people to help them settle into their new community. Settlement support includes helping the newcomer fill out the necessary applications to get required documents, such as a Social Insurance Number. They will also help them access medical services, educational opportunities and assist them with finding employment and accommodation.

 

“Operation #NotForgotten” will be recruiting volunteers from across Canada, as well as working with Rotary International to recruit and coordinate settlement support teams. Training and support for these settlement groups will be provided by Canada Caring Society and MOSAIC.

 

How can people help or get involved?

 

There are several different ways to support this project:

 

DONATE – Donations can be made to MOSAIC in Canada or to the Refugee Council of Australia. Both organizations are registered charities and can issue charitable tax receipts for donations received from within Canada or Australia, respectively. 100% of donations will be used to support the sponsorship and settlement of refugees.

Donations can be made online or by cheque.

Online Donations:
 

• CANADA/US: - https://chimp.net/campaigns/operation-not-forgotten

• AUSTRALIA:  https://action.refugeecouncil.org.au/notforgotten

• INTERNATIONAL (Countries outside of Canada, US and Australia): https://www.gofundme.com/f/operationnotforgotten

 

Donations by Cheque:

 

• Canada - Cheques should be made out to MOSAIC (please indicate the donation is for Operation #Not Forgotten). Please mail cheques to MOSAIC, 5575 Boundary Road, Vancouver, B.C., Canada V5R 2P9
   

• Australia - Cheques should be made out to Refugee Council of Australia (please indicate the donation is for Operation #Not Forgotten). Please mail cheques to Refugee Council of Australia, Suite 4A6, 410 Elizabeth Street, Surry Hills 2010 NSW Australia

 

 

VOLUNTEER – Volunteers are required to assist with completing the sponsorship forms and to provide settlement support to the refugees when they arrive in Canada.

People interested in volunteering can get more information and register here:

 

notforgotten@canadacaring.org

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How can refugees register their interest in this program?

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A refugee interested in this program must meet the following criteria:

 

+ They are living on Nauru, Manus, Papua New Guinea or they are temporarily in Australia for medical reasons

+ They  have applied for settlement to the US Settlement Program and they are ineligible for that program.

If they meet those requirements, they can register their interest here: