Our volunteer group initially sought to bring two young Russian refugees to Canada through the Group of Five immigration sponsorship program. However, during the application process and after receiving advice from immigration lawyers, it became clear that the desperate circumstances of these two Russian refugees were not critical enough to allow them to be considered qualified candidates for immigration via the Group of Five refugee sponsorship. We abandoned this sponsorship effort and began researching job immigration programs with the refugees. Unfortunately, they were not eligible for most programs due to their lack of advanced education and necessary experience. After further research and discussion, we determined that the best way we could help these young men and other young men and women like them was to create a non-profit charity to provide the funding, resources and assistance necessary to help them improve their education and to eventually begin their own careers.
BREP’s initial program participants, two Russian refugees in Poland fleeing political persecution, exemplify the type of persons that the organization is interested in helping to advance their education. They initially had no Polish or English language skills and no source of income sufficient to enroll and continue in a Polish University, but had very good qualifications for university educations.
Without encouragement, social and financial support and the information and expertise necessary to navigate the unfamiliar Polish university system, they would be unable to pursue their aspirations for a higher education, and in
their case, immigration to Canada to contribute to the Canadian economy as highly skilled workers. BREP is providing them support for English language classes, the translation and certification of records from their education
in Russia necessary for application to Polish universities, and upon their acceptance into a university, sufficient resources to attend the university, and social support as they proceed to their degrees.
From our experience with these young men, we see that there are others, young men and women, in similar conditions who have been forced to flee their home countries, including Russia, Ukraine and Belarus due to wars or political persecution and need assistance to further their education in their new country. The main needs of these
refugees and displaced persons are rapid language acquisition, social and emotional support, help with the unfamiliar records certification and university application processes, and financial assistance for their university education.
We also see that the high quality and low cost of an education at Polish Universities provides an excellent opportunity for advancing the education of the many refugees and displaced persons who have fled war and persecution and find themselves in Poland. We are working to establish long term connections with the Polish academics and language school educators who have helped steer us and the students through this process. We envision that they will be central in identifying and aiding future recipients of BREP assistance.
Bluewater Refugee Education Project’s (BREP’s) primary activity is to advance the education of European refugees and other displaced persons.
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