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In March 2020, when COVID-19 was declared a global pandemic, the impact was immediate to refugee sponsorship groups like the Diocese of Ontario Refugee Support (DOORS) and others like it across the country. Temporary travel suspensions were put in place both domestically and overseas. There were delays in processing existing applications. Now as travel restrictions begin to ease, DOORS is doing everything they can to work with Immigration, Refugee and Citizenship Canada to bring refugees to Canada.

There are now challenges of finding sponsors here in our diocese. In many cases people who were sponsors before have moved on and there are now new people who may not have considered sponsorship. DOORS is actively looking for more parishes to pursue sponsorship and have begun creating profiles of refugees as a way for potential sponsors to connect and see that this is a real person that is actually waiting and needs sponsorship. Local YGK News recently profiled a pair of Afghani boys who are hoping to call Kingston home with the help of local sponsors and the Anglican Diocese…[read more from YGK News].