Wesley Asylum Seekers Assistance Program (ASAP) Provides support to asylum seekers and refugee claimants in Canada.

Building on Wesley’s expertise and capacity for shelter and resettlement services, the Asylum Seeker Assistance Program (ASAP) is funded by the City of Hamilton to provide transitional housing to people who may have one of the following refugee classifications:

• Asylum-seeker – a person who is seeking asylum. Until a determination is made, it is impossible to say whether the asylum-seeker is a refugee or not.
• Refugee claimant – a person who has made a claim for protection as a refugee. This term is more or less equivalent to asylum-seeker and is standard in Canada, while asylum-seeker is the term more often used internationally.

Approach: The ASAP program works in collaboration with Good Shepperd and Refuge Community Health in Hamilton to transition the Asylum Seekers from the emergency shelters to their permanent homes in Hamilton and surrounding areas. Wesley supports the referred asylum seekers clients from first day of their arrival and provides them with necessary services to help them resettle and reintegrate economically in Canada.

The service model for Asylum Seekers at Wesley includes:

Transitional Housing: Under the Wesley ASAP, the Asylum Seekers/ Refugee Claimants referred to Wesley are provided temporary accommodation at Wesley residence until they are able to move to their permanent homes. Wesley team for housing support assists the individuals to find suitable homes in communities in Hamilton and surrounding areas.

Resettlement Assistance: Wesley ASAP provides immediate and essential services to Asylum Seekers/ Refugee Claimants while they are at their temporary accommodations. Besides support in locating permanent accommodation; the resettlement service includes basic needs assessment and referrals to broader settlement services, orientation and links to essential federal/provincial/municipal programs and services, financial orientation, immediate and essential orientation, and support services such as interpretation. 

Employment Support: Wesley is an active Service Provider for Employment Ontario (EO) and has an established system to support job seekers in Hamilton area. Under the ASAP, Wesley has a staff to facilitate employment related needs including resume support, coaching on navigating the employment market, and referrals to wider EO services where eligible.

In partnership with: