The Causes and Consequences of Administrative Burdens in the Canadian Private Sponsorship of Refugees Program

Abstract

This article explores the administrative burdens that refugee sponsors experience in their interaction with the state in the context of the Canadian Private Sponsorship of Refugees Program. Drawing on primary and secondary qualitative data, we show that over four decades of program implementation, the sponsorship application process has become more complex, resource intensive, and time-consuming for sponsors, subverting otherwise positive sponsorship experiences. Our findings contribute to theoretical debates in administrative burdens research and indicate an acute need for administrative changes that would simplify the application process for sponsors, thus sustaining and nurturing the broad public interest in the program.