In August 2021, the government promised to settle 40,000 Afghan refugees in Canada. That promise has turned out to be hard to keep. (Here is our take on why the…
News and Views
Thanks to Lynn Miles for Stepping Up for Afghan Refugees!
OCRA was thrilled to work with Ottawa singer/songwriter Lynn Miles in October 2022 to raise funds for our Afghan refugee sponsorships. Lynn generously devoted her time onstage at Irene's Pub…
Assisting Refugees detained in Australia
Along with other Canadian refugee organizations, OCRA is working to sponsor refugees who have been shut out of Australia.
Ukrainian Refugees
Like all of you, we at OCRA have watched with horror the civilian bombing campaign that started last February and the forced migration of Ukrainian families fleeing for safety outside…
OCRA+Merry Dairy Ice Cream Fundraiser
On September 18th, 2022, we partnered with The Merry Dairy for a fun ice cream fundraiser for Afghan refugees. All who attended agreed that The Merry Dairy makes fantastic ice…
OCRA’s Suggestions for Improving the Processing of Afghan Sponsorship Applications
We recently met with Yasir Naqvi, Member of Parliament for Ottawa Centre, to discuss ways the government could improve the processing and handling of sponsorships for Afghan refugees in service…
Afghan refugees – what’s the problem?
Trying to rapidly increase the number of Afghans admitted to Canada using a system not designed to expand or expedite the flow of refugees was bound to prove difficult.
Conditions for Refugees in Jordan, Lebanon and Turkey are Deteriorating
International organizations report that already-difficult conditions for Syrian refugees in Jordan, Lebanon, and Turkey are getting worse.
How the sponsorship system works
How a non-transparent system works (or doesn’t)
Escape from Eritrea
In the midst of a pandemic and a civil war, OCRA took on the challenge of bringing a young man to Canada.