Project Description
Nauru to Canada Appeal
After 6 years of suffering, as many as 300 of the refugees forcibly sent to Manus and Nauru are
still trying to get to freedom. But finally, there is a way for us to help at least one of them: through
Canada’s Private Sponsorship of Refugees (PSR) Program. Armidale Rural Australians for Refugees
(ARAR) and Armidale Sanctuary are partnering with Ads-up, MOSAIC and other Canadian
organisations to enable a refugee on Nauru to reunite with his family and settle in Canada. We are
raising the funds required by the Canadian government to support a resettlement application for
the family.
The refugee, who we will call Mohib, is a member of the Rohingya community who have been
victims of targeted violence in Myanmar (Burma). Working as a taxi driver, Mohib was assaulted
by some passengers for being a Rohingya and had to have his face stitched up. Three members of
his extended family were killed in an arson attack on their home. The school his son attended was
burnt to the ground, an attack which killed thirteen students. Desperate to find a path to safety
for his wife and two children, Mohib took a dangerous journey to Australia, but ended up detained
by Australian authorities on Nauru, where he has been for the last 6 years.
The application for Mohib and his family to resettle in Canada will be made by the Ads-Up
(Australia Diaspora Steps Up) and MOSAIC, one of the largest resettlement organisations in
Canada. These groups, aided by hundreds of Aussie ex-pats, have already helped many Nauru and
Manus refugees get to Canada. The Ripple Refugee Project – a group of experienced, committed
volunteers based in Toronto – will sponsor the family and help them when they arrive.
The funds raised by Armidale’s Nauru to Canada Appeal will be used for this application. Before it
can be submitted, sponsors must confirm there are sufficient funds to support the family for their
first 12 months in Canada ($43,200 CAD = approx. $52,000 AUD). All donations (tax deductible)
will be pooled into a general resettlement fund managed by the Refugee Council of Australia and
MOSAIC. The application will be supported out of this general fund.
In the unlikely event that the application is denied or withdrawn for any reason, funds will be
reallocated to other Manus and Nauru refugees seeking resettlement in Canada. Any funds raised
above $51,000 AUD will be used to support other Manus and Nauru applications.