Newcomers arrive with their status assured, a bespoke plan in place to support their integration, and community of people at their back.

An evaluation of Community Sponsorship in the UK concluded that, although resettled families still face significant challenges, “Having the ready source of social capital that is inherent to CS meant that refugees benefitted from individualised help which appeared to go some way in addressing challenges around language learning, navigating complex institutional cultures, building social networks, overcoming isolation and progressing towards self-sufficiency.”

Of course, the greatest evidence comes from the families themselves.

“Now we have plans for our future”, says Lina, who now lives with her husband Fadi and their two children in leafy Sutton.

“It changed my whole life," says Khadija, who now lives in Devon with her family. Her husband is now working as an electrician, and Khadija completed GCSEs while raising 3 children, and is now teaching English to other migrant women.

International experience has shown that newcomers welcomed through Community Sponsorship are more likely to volunteer (UK, Ipsos Mori), have higher English language enrolment rates (USA, Centre for Migration Studies), and find employment (Candian government) than refugees without sponsorship groups.

In a survey of people who participated in Community Sponsorship, people reported numerous gains from participation, including:

• A sense of purpose and fulfilment
• Pride and satisfaction
• A new group of friends
• A stronger sense of community

Research by the University of Birmingham has found that the Community Sponsorship Scheme (CSS) changes attitudes towards refugees, particularly in less-diverse host communities:

“Refugees were said to be an inspiration within schools, and local communities had become more outward looking as a result of their engagement with CSS. The advent of CSS in less diverse areas offers potential for transformation of understanding of refugee issues, to reduce fears about others, to change working practices to make them more inclusive for wider diverse populations and to bring new perspectives into relatively homogeneous communities”

You can read how refugee sponsorship increases support and reduces opposition to resettlement here.

And, by sharing positive stories of welcome, we can improving public narratives and support for refugees.

A survey of Community Sponsorship participants showed that the scheme has increased their awareness of the challenges faced by people with low levels of English in the UK, and of living on a low income. They also reported increased cultural awareness.