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On August 13th, our Guest Speaker was Shelley Campagnola, Executive Director of MCRS (Mennonite Coalition for Refugee Support). https://mcrs.ca/
MCRS is often the first stop for refugee claimants in Canada. They provide immediate assistance in completing their claim forms and applications, help in finding legal counsel, aid in applying for work permits, and help in navigating through other complex immigration-related processes.
After fleeing violence, oppression, and persecution, refugee claimants now face the immediate reality of providing for their families and navigating through the refugee claims process. MCRS walks alongside individuals and families by helping with complex paperwork, assisting with interpretation and by connecting them with healthcare, schooling and employment services.
Their Vision is that refugees experience welcome, compassion, inclusion, and justice.
Currently in Waterloo Region there are 1600 refugee claimants.
70 million people around the world are on the move as they are either displaced from their home or are on the run for fears of being tortured or killed in their home country. 3 million of those are seeking asylum in another country. 55,000 came to Canada last year.
Canada is one of the few countries where the government is not directly involved in hearing claimant’s cases, as they have a separate department looking after this. This allows everyone’s case to be heard without prejudice. 80% of all claims are approved. Each refugee is thoroughly screened with background checks to prove that they do indeed qualify. Wounds on their body, or their names appearing in local papers/ social media proving that they are being targeted, are some of the areas that this department looks at to confirm that the refugees cannot go back to their country of origin..
MCRS partners with many other groups to help refugees. 100% of the money that MCRS works with comes from our community, as they do not qualify any Federal or Provincial funding.