European Refugee Sponsorship Convention Report

The first European Refugee Sponsorship Convention was organised to celebrate achievements, discuss developments, policies and practices and to reflect on lessons learned to move forward. Coorganised by ICMC Europe/Share Network and Caritas International (Belgium) in the context of the Share QSN programme, the Convention gathered around 150 multi-stakeholder participants, including national, regional and local authorities, lead sponsors, volunteers and refuges themselves.

The Convention offered the opportunity to exchange among peers, highlight best practices and amplify grassroots voices.

“It was inspiring to be surrounded by people working in Community Sponsorship from across Europe. The panels were interesting and gave insight into how different models work” - participant from the UK

Some key recommendations:

• Volunteers must be recognised for their crucial role in making community sponsorship schemes possible and successful

• The refugee community must be involved in the design, implmentation and feedback of sponsorship programmes

• Local authorities’ support and government backing should be sought

• Support and lessons learnt from Ukraine response must be harnessed

• Complementary pathways should be strengthened through sponsorship