They Welcome the World's Displaced

People who invite refugees into their homes take a giant, generous leap of faith. Here are three of their stories.

- BY Lisa Fitterman

THEY COME FROM AFRICA, Central Asia, the Middle East and Ukraine. According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, in 2022 more than 100 million people were forcibly displaced from their homes by war, famine, natural disasters or persecution.

They flee with the few possessions they are able to carry, their lives suddenly in limbo.

What happens to them? Some 4.5 million find sanctuary in United Nations-sanctioned refugee camps; at least two million are in "self-settled" camps; and countless others shelter in foreign cities-rooms in hotels and community centres, or basic apartments from where they try to launch new lives.

A lucky few are welcomed into private homes, sharing space with people who want to help, often for a few months. Refugees receive government stipends, to be used for food and other necessities until they can find jobs and become self-supporting; some hosts also receive monthly payments (or sometimes money for rent and expenses from the refugees) to help defray the cost of having guests.

Hosting has its challenges, such as navigating cultural differences and the stresses of daily life that come from living with strangers. But the rewards can be profound.

"She Is Just Like a Mom"

On a cloudy Saturday in September 2021, the temporary clothing-donation centre in a parking lot near Toronto's Pearson International Airport was bustling with Afghan refugees staying at nearby hotels, all of them wearing face masks because of the pandemic. Fiona Harrower, a volunteer for Canadian Connections, the aid group sponsoring the event, was folding clothes that had not yet been given away.

"Did you see the young woman with the beautiful eyebrows?" Fiona's co-volunteer asked. "Her name is Rukhshana. She asked if we had any books to give out."