WUSC UVic and the Student Refugee Program

World University Service of Canada University of Victoria (WUSC UVic) is one of over 70 WUSC Local Committees active on university and college campuses across Canada. WUSC UVic's primary function is to run the Student Refugee Program (SRP) on campus. We believe that access to education is a right, and we work, at least in a small way, to make that a reality. Each year, we sponsor three students from refugee camps to pursue their post-secondary studies at UVic. The sponsored students receive Permanent Residence status upon arrival in Canada. UVic has been participating in the SRP for 27 years.

The WUSC Local Committee provides financial, logistical, and community support to the sponsored students. The SRP is a unique program, requiring a great amount of community support and attention, especially during the initial stages of settlement. Through the program we organize social events, coordinate logistical settlement details, introduce students to services within the community, find tutoring for course work, provide advice, and much more.

The program is funded by UVic, donations, and undergraduate and graduate student fees. All of this money goes directly to the sponsored students' budgets for one year. This includes the cost of accommodations, tuition, books, and other living expenses. In addition, our Local Committee pays into the WUSC Ottawa contribution fund, which helps finance some of the overseas costs incurred by the program. While the SRP only covers living expenses for one year, the students can apply for student loans and/or UVic bursaries to help them continue their studies. They also have a well-established support network, consisting of Local Committee members and fellow SRP alumni.

WUSC UVic aims to provide a space within our group that is free from all forms of discrimination. We aim to educate ourselves about a number of issues, and we strive to be allies for all people struggling for equality. We work to engage the UVic student body and our community in awareness and activism campaigns concerning refugee, migrant and immigrant rights in Canada. We seek not only to broaden our own understanding, but to provide resources for the UVic community as a whole.

The National Perspective

"Founded on the principle that knowledge can build a more equitable world." - WUSC Ottawa

The Student Refugee Program (SRP) began in 1978 and since its inception has enabled over 1000 students from refugee camps to study at university campuses across Canada. The WUSC National Office collaborates with partner organizations in camps in Kenya, Malawi and Thailand to select eligible candidates for the program.

Applicants go through a lengthy selection process . They are assessed on criteria such as academic excellence, involvement in their community, and the ability to excel in a challenging environment. In addition to passing WUSC'ss selection process, students must be accepted by Citizenship and Immigration Canada, and they must meet the academic requirements of Canadian universities. Each year, approximately 50 students arrive in Canada after a two-year process. WUSC as an organization sponsors more refugees each year than some countries, such as Iceland.

Most of this process and all of the work within the refugee camps is carried out by WUSC National staff and their partners within the camps, Windle Trust Kenya and Jesuit Refugee Services Malawi and Thailand. WUSC is a Sponsorship Agreement Holder (SAH), which means that it has an agreement with the government that allows it to sponsor and resettle refugees within Canada. The SRP program is unique among SAH organizations in that it links resettlement to post-secondary education.