United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Canada

Canadian branch of the international UN Refugee Agency. Offers advocacy, information, legal assistance, and post-secondary scholarships for refugees. Works with the Canadian government, private sponsors, and businesses to promote standards of protection for refugees and asylum-seekers, to coordinate resettlement opportunities, and to inform and educate Canadians about the situation of refugees around the world. Staff in Montreal, Ottawa, and Toronto work with the federal government to observe hearings of asylum-seekers to determine status; review procedures at airports and land ports of entry; provide assistance to individual asylum applicants; offer advice on the interpretation and application of international refugee law; and assist lawyers and non-governmental groups working with asylum-seekers and refugees. Also provides emergency aid and disaster relief supplies during refugee crises.