FAQs

If you want to learn more about Community Sponsorship Ireland and how you can sponsor a refugee family in your community, get in touch with us: 

• Via email at info@communitysponsorship.ie

• Via phone at 1800 753 343

Sponsoring a family means helping them through the critical first stages of their resettlement in Ireland, an 18-month commitment. During this time, groups will ensure the family receives all the support they need to settle in the country and successfully integrate into the community. Additionally, groups must secure housing for at least two years. 

You don’t need any special skills to join a Community Sponsorship Group. If you live in Ireland, you already know how things work here and can share your knowledge of daily life and local customs. That’s enough to make a difference!

However, certain skills can help your group better support a refugee family as they settle in, such as:

• Finance skills like budgeting or accounting
• Knowledge of child safeguarding
• Ability to act as, or access, interpreters (most often Arabic to English)
• Teaching English
• Experience in healthcare
• Experience with local authorities or having helpful contacts
• Ability to find employment or training opportunities for the refugee families
• Knowledge of or connections to places of worship, cultural centers, and refugee support groups

Groups should also embrace the core values of the programme, which are:

• Engagement
• Enhancement
• Protection
• Partnership
• Empowerment

Community Sponsorship Groups commit to supporting a refugee family for 18 months. From the first day, sponsors greet the family at the airport, bring them to their new home, and help them settle in. Sponsors will guide the family, offering their time and knowledge to make sure they adjust well to life in Ireland.

This includes helping them find jobs, training, access social services, enroll their children in school, and understand the local transport system and community resources.

In advance of the family’s arrival, Community Sponsorship Groups must:

• Complete online training modules from the National Support Organisation and Tusla’s Children First certificate
• Complete a Community Sponsorship Group Application Form and group constitution
• Fundraise at least €10,000
• Secure accommodation for at least two years
• Complete a Settlement Plan & budget (detailing how you will support the family)
• Complete a welcome pack for the family

The National Support Organisation suggests assigning clear roles to each group member to cover all areas of the family’s integration. Below is a list of recommended roles for the group:

• Primary Sponsor
• Secondary Sponsor
• Housing Coordinator, and Property Manager
• Accounts Coordinator
• Communications Coordinator
• Language Coordinator, and Interpreter
• Fundraising Coordinator
• Educations & Employment Coordinator
• Health & Welfare Coordinator, Appointment Accompaniment, and Cultural/Social Coordinator

Throughout their journey, Community Sponsorship Groups will receive support, advice and training from the National Support Organisation (comprising of the Irish Red Cross, Irish Refugee Council, Doras and Nasc).

A Programme refugee is a person who has been invited to Ireland under a Government decision, in response to a humanitarian request. Programme refugees are usually selected from a country of asylum and brought to a third country to permanently settle. Programme Refugees can avail of similar rights and entitlements to those of an Irish citizen. To date, Community Sponsorship Ireland has successfully welcomed Syrian and Afghan nationals.

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) identifies suitable individuals/families and refers them to the Irish Refugee Protection Programme (IRPP) for interview, selection and consent to resettle under the Community Sponsorship Ireland Programme.

Individuals and families invited to resettle in Ireland under the Community Sponsorship Programme will be identified by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and selected by the Irish Refugee Protection Programme (IRPP). Approved Community Sponsorship Groups will be matched to one of these individuals/families, taking into consideration the size of the accommodation sourced and amenities in the local area.

Community Sponsorship Ireland benefits both refugee families and the communities where they settle.

Refugee families:

• Directly move into a new home and welcoming community;
• Receive wrap-around support from the Community Sponsorship Group members, including friendship, advice, introductions, and inclusion;
• Receive immediate local knowledge;
• Actively participate in society, learning cultural customs and traditions;
• Immediately begin to learn the cost of living in Ireland;
• Immediately begin to learn the English language.

Communities and Community Sponsorship Group Members:

• Feel more connected within their community;
• Satisfaction of sharing local knowledge;
• Build new friendships and a sense of comradery in the community;
• Cross-cultural learning – experiencing new foods, customs and religion;
• Demonstrate humanitarianism to children and other generations;
• Communities and the country benefit from educated and skilled professionals;
• Added sense of purpose and fulfillment.

The way to start is by reaching out to like-minded people in your own network. This could be neighbours, colleagues, alumni groups, industry contacts, or members of hobby groups, sports clubs, or faith communities. Invite them to join you on this meaningful journey.

Groups can be created at any time and in any village or town in Ireland. If the timing and location work for you, we can help you join an existing group. However, we encourage you to start your own group if possible. The more Community Sponsorship Groups we create, the more families we can help bring to safety.