Saskatchewan welcomes 330 Afghan refugees
On November 02, over 330 Afghan refugees arrived in Saskatchewan.
This is the first charter flight of Government Assisted Refugees (GARs) that have come directly to Saskatchewan. Usually, GARs arrive in cities like Toronto, Vancouver or Calgary and then travel to final destinations like Regina or Saskatoon.
Our staff travelled to Saskatoon, where they worked alongside the Saskatoon Open Door Society to welcome everyone at the airport. 80 of 330 arrivals were destined for Regina, so after landing in Saskatoon, they boarded a bus for the final leg of their trip.
Once in Regina, our Resettlement Assistance Program (RAP) staff were ready to help everyone get settled in their temporary accommodations. These refugees will stay there for a few weeks until they can find permanent homes. During that time, our RAP team will help them through orientation sessions, needs assessments, referrals to services, and help finding housing.
After they find permanent housing, our staff will continue to support them for up to a year. They will be available at every step of the settlement process and help them connect to all the services and programs they need to feel welcome and at home in Regina.
If you’ve ever wondered what this process looks like, here is a visual timeline of the journey of Government Assisted Refugees.
Many refugees have had incredibly long journeys in search of safety and peace. Forced to flee out of fear for their lives, refugees often give up everything; home, belongings, family and country – for an uncertain future in a foreign land. Often spending time in more than one country until they can settle in a final destination where they can start rebuilding their lives.
When they arrive, the Regina Open Door Society helps them in the process of resettlement. However, the welcoming spirit of our community has a massive impact on helping them make Regina their new home.
If you would like to get involved, we encourage you to volunteer, donate and spread the word about the reality of refugees.
You can make monetary donations through our donations page or by clicking here.
We are also looking for housing that can fit large families. If you are a landlord or know someone with property available for rent, please check our website to fill out our Housing Registry form.
As we approach our cold winter months, there will be an increased need for winter clothing. If you want to donate new or gently used winter clothing, please email us at donate@rods.sk.ca. We will distribute donations to families in need, and anything that is not used will be donated to other community organizations.
If you would like to volunteer, click here to find out more about ways to volunteer.
For media inquiries, please email media@rods.sk.ca
