Giving Compass' Take:

• Jackie Marchildon explains how Ismail Al-Hariri and his family were able to find a new home in Canada after a group of Canadians raised funds to bring them over from Za’atari refugee camp. 

• How can funders use this model to encourage permanent refugee resettlement? 

• Read about ways to support refugees. 

When Ismail Al-Hariri was 26 years old, he fled his native town of Daraa, Syria, with his mother, his wife, and their 8-month-old daughter.

It was late, around 11 p.m. or 12 a.m., because they had to attempt to cross the Jordanian border in secret, away from the patrolling Syrian army.

People gathered at a meeting point near the border, where they were received by organizers who were helping refugees safely get into Jordan. From there, they walked.

“We walked for about two hours in the dead of night, trying to make as little sound as possible so that we could pass by the army on the border,” Al-Hariri told Global Citizen. “No one was allowed to smoke or eat or anything.”

The babies in tow were given sleeping pills so that they wouldn’t cry, he explained.

Al-Hariri and his family went through UNHCR, the UN refugee agency, to gain access to the Za’atari refugee camp. They were welcomed into the camp and provided with food and shelter.

For Al-Hariri and thousands of others, this temporary camp soon turned into a long-term home. Today, it is home to nearly 80,000 Syrian refugees, according to the UNHCR.

The young father and his family spent six years in the refugee camp.

Over time, and through contact with Temple and Ingrasi, and the organization he volunteered with, Al-Hariri and his family decided it was best for them to try to find a new country to call home.

And that is where the community of Antigonish, Nova Scotia, comes in.

After seeing Al-Hariri in Salam Neighbor, a group of Canadians raised the necessary funds to pay for the cost of Al-Hariri’s resettlement, which was facilitated through the UNHCR.

Read the full article about refugees finding a new home by Jackie Marchildon at Global Citizen.