Building a Community Sponsorship Program: Checklist

OVERARCHING CONSIDERATIONS

Have you considered…

Whether your community sponsorship program promotes the principle of refugee protection?
Whether your community sponsorship program provides durable solutions?
Whether your community sponsorship advances international responsibility sharing?
Whether your community sponsorship program promotes the principle of additionality?
How to respond to the need for family reunification in your resettlement program?
How your program will encourage volunteerism and build communities?
How you will ensure your community sponsorship program will remain accountable?

Have you considered…

What laws, regulations, policies, and procedures will be enacted to enable community sponsorship in your country?

Have you considered…

Who is eligible to be sponsored?
The resources and partnerships needed to process refugees for private sponsorship?
What information and resources you will provide refugees before they arrive in their resettlement country?
How you will identify sponsorship-eligible refugees?
How sponsors and refugees should communicate prior to refugees’ arrival?
How you will work with UNHCR as part of overseas processing?
How you will transport refugees to your country and how you will choose their destinations?

Have you considered…

How you will mobilize private actors to support refugee resettlement?
If there are options other than sponsorship for communities to support refugees?
Who will be eligible to sponsor and what their relationship to the government will be?
How you will screen sponsors?
How to ensure sponsors are aware of their responsibilities?
The steps sponsors will need to take to prepare for the refugees’ arrival?
What training and resources will be needed for sponsors prior to and after refugees’ arrival?

Have you considered…

What legal status will the sponsored refugee have upon arrival?
What arrangements need to be made for housing?
What supports need to be put in place for job search and training?
What types of post-arrival supports will be needed beyond those provided by sponsors?
How refugees will access physical, mental, and dental health services?
The educational needs of refugees?
How refugees will be oriented to their new communities?
How refugees will access language training?
Who will cover the varying costs of settlement and integration?

Have you considered…

What happens if sponsors want to withdraw their application before refugees arrive?
How to manage expectations and resolve disputes between sponsors and refugees if they arise?
What happens if a sponsorship breaks down after refugees arrive?
What happens at the end of the sponsorship period?
What special considerations may apply if relatives are among the sponsors?