Yesterday, Tuesday, the Canadian government opened registrations for the family pathway to permanent residence for Sudanese affected by the war ongoing since April 2023.

This special program allows Sudanese holding Canadian citizenship and permanent residents to bring their family members if they commit to financially supporting them for a full year according to conditions set by the government in coordination with the Sudanese Canadian Community Association (SCCA).

Abir Mustafa, an immigration consultant and former president of the Sudanese community association in Ontario, said that the Canadian government has worked on three fronts since the beginning of the recent war in Sudan.

Initially, the government evacuated individuals holding Canadian passports and permanent residents. At the same time, it allowed Sudanese in Canada to extend their visa validity.

They can also request to change their status from visitor to worker, with applications accepted until October 27, 2024.

The second step involved providing humanitarian aid to those affected by the war. According to Global Affairs Canada, "the total humanitarian aid Canada provided in 2023 was 165 million dollars."

The aid benefited Sudan and neighboring countries, including Egypt, Ethiopia, the Central African Republic, South Sudan, and Chad.

As a third measure, at the end of last December, a family reunification program was announced "based on humanitarian considerations and targeting foreigners directly affected by the conflict in Sudan who have family in Canada, so they can find shelter in Canada and build their lives benefiting from support for stability and integration," as explained by the Canadian government.

Abir Mustafa appreciated this measure that allows Sudanese coming from "a country not strategic to Canada" to obtain permanent residence. She reminded, by way of comparison, that Canada only granted Ukrainians fleeing the war launched by Russia on their country “temporary residence” at the beginning of the crisis.

This worker, who has been in the community field for several years, provided some details about this program.

The Canadian government requires the sponsor not to have a criminal record, not be receiving social assistance, and not have outstanding debts within an immigration sponsorship program.

She confirmed that these conditions are not difficult or prohibitive. Regarding financial requirements, she said they "are less than those required by the government in the case of refugee sponsorship."

For example, in the case of sponsoring only one relative, the sponsor must put $9,900 in a dedicated bank account. "This is less than the $16,000 required when sponsoring one refugee," as Abir Mustafa said.

The required amount according to the number of sponsored persons:

One person: $9,900

Two people: $14,950

3 people: $16,500

4 people: $18,100

5 people: $20,450

6 people: $22,650

More than 6 people: $1,900 for each additional person

She said, "The nice thing about this program is that the sponsor can bring his father, mother, grandfather, grandmother, brothers, and sisters, both full and half-siblings."

If the family's income is limited, money can be collected in the bank account through donations from community members inside and outside Canada, as she explained.

According to her, Sudanese culture is characterized by solidarity and cohesion. Its members help each other financially if needed. The sponsored person can contribute to collecting the required amount from their own money.

The government will accept 3,250 applications during one year starting from the announcement date of this special program for Sudanese. The application can include all family members.

Last December, when Mark Miller, Canadian Minister of Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship, announced this program, the Sudanese Community Association issued a statement saying that this program will "enable bringing thousands of Sudanese from our family in Sudan affected by the war to Canada, saving their lives and bringing comfort and reassurance to their relatives in Canada."

The council then hoped "that efforts by the Canadian government and other countries will continue to end the war and displacement that afflicts our people in Sudan and that life returns to normal as quickly as possible."

The war is ongoing between the Sudanese army led by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and the Rapid Support Forces of General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, nicknamed "Hemedti," the former second man in military power.

It has resulted in the killing of thousands of civilians, among them 10,000 to 15,000 in one city in Darfur, according to UN experts. Nearly eight million people, half of them children, have fled their homes.

Since the start of the conflict, about 560,000 people have fled to South Sudan, one of the least developed countries in the world, according to the UN, which estimates that about 1,500 people arrive daily at UN-managed transit points.

About 25 million people, more than half of Sudan’s population, need assistance, including around 18 million facing food insecurity. About 3.8 million Sudanese children under the age of five suffer from malnutrition, according to the United Nations.