Nurturing Refugee Hospitality: A Case Study of Canada's Private Sponsorship of Refugees Program and Its Implications for South Korea

Presenter Information

Taewook BaeFollow

Institutional Affiliation

University of Manitoba

Start Date

16-1-2025 3:30 PM

End Date

16-1-2025 5:00 PM

Proposal Type

Presentation

Proposal Format

On-campus

Proposal Description

The global refugee crisis, intensified by protracted wars and conflicts, increasingly demands responsibility from hosting countries. However, South Korea (Korea) has maintained a closed stance on refugee intake, with an annual average of only 48 refugees accepted since implementing its refugee law in 1994. Such responses from hosting countries are inadequate for addressing the refugee crisis. This research seeks out strategies to enhance inclusivity and hospitality towards refugees in closed hosting countries such as Korea. To that end, Canada’s Private Sponsorship of Refugees Program (PSRP) case will be examined. Over the past 40 years, Canada’s PSRP and its civil organizations have successfully resettled over 300,000 refugees, fostering a welcoming climate. This may provide implications for Korean civil leaders and local actors to apply in their context.

This research will focus on finding social conditions and motivations that enabled the private sponsors’ involvement in refugee protection and allowed their sustainable action. Qualitative secondary analysis that uses data from published research and media will be utilized. The data comprises interviews and surveys, including responses from over 700 sponsors.

The findings indicate that the legal structure of the PSRP, the government’s leadership in promoting the program, and the roles of media and civil organizations in encouraging public participation shaped social conditions that streamlined Canadian citizens’ engagement. Under the circumstances, the individuals were motivated by media, ethics and compassion, refugee experiences, desire for political response, and family concerns, while emotional rewards and their community’s encouragement drove some private sponsors to engage continually.

This research could contribute to finding effective ways for Korean civil leaders and local actors to nurture a culture of peace, including values of understanding, tolerance, and social cohesion, in their society. Additionally, this research provides actionable strategies for them to emphasize community engagement as a key factor for fostering refugee hospitality.

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Jan 16th, 3:30 PM Jan 16th, 5:00 PM

Nurturing Refugee Hospitality: A Case Study of Canada's Private Sponsorship of Refugees Program and Its Implications for South Korea

The global refugee crisis, intensified by protracted wars and conflicts, increasingly demands responsibility from hosting countries. However, South Korea (Korea) has maintained a closed stance on refugee intake, with an annual average of only 48 refugees accepted since implementing its refugee law in 1994. Such responses from hosting countries are inadequate for addressing the refugee crisis. This research seeks out strategies to enhance inclusivity and hospitality towards refugees in closed hosting countries such as Korea. To that end, Canada’s Private Sponsorship of Refugees Program (PSRP) case will be examined. Over the past 40 years, Canada’s PSRP and its civil organizations have successfully resettled over 300,000 refugees, fostering a welcoming climate. This may provide implications for Korean civil leaders and local actors to apply in their context.

This research will focus on finding social conditions and motivations that enabled the private sponsors’ involvement in refugee protection and allowed their sustainable action. Qualitative secondary analysis that uses data from published research and media will be utilized. The data comprises interviews and surveys, including responses from over 700 sponsors.

The findings indicate that the legal structure of the PSRP, the government’s leadership in promoting the program, and the roles of media and civil organizations in encouraging public participation shaped social conditions that streamlined Canadian citizens’ engagement. Under the circumstances, the individuals were motivated by media, ethics and compassion, refugee experiences, desire for political response, and family concerns, while emotional rewards and their community’s encouragement drove some private sponsors to engage continually.

This research could contribute to finding effective ways for Korean civil leaders and local actors to nurture a culture of peace, including values of understanding, tolerance, and social cohesion, in their society. Additionally, this research provides actionable strategies for them to emphasize community engagement as a key factor for fostering refugee hospitality.