Needs: Some refugees with special needs are vulnerable and in urgent need of being resettled.  Some refugees have special needs because they are a large family or have a child who has a disability.
Some refugees have been mistreated and traumatized.  Many refugees have inadequate protection for themselves and their children. They are in serious and urgent need of a safe place to resettle.

Refugees with special and urgent requirements usually need up to two years to settle. They need a group to sponsor them on relatively short notice.

Responsibilities: Sponsoring groups are expected to make sure that refugees with high needs get the special support and the settlement services they require.  Sponsoring groups also need to provide the personal and social support that will assist the refugee newcomers adapt and adjust to Manitoba’s culture and climate. For Joint Assistance Sponsorships (JAS), as they are called, the Federal Government provides basic financial and material support as needed, usually for two years.

Supports: MIIC (Welcome Place) supports Manitoba groups that sponsor refugees with special needs by assisting them:

• decide which refugee with special needs to sponsor,
• follow the JAS application process,
• plan for settlement supports,
• provide settlement and referral services, and
• overcome challenges newcomers face.