Ads Up Canada

Australians and Canadians working together in support of Manus and Nauru refugees

From Detention to Resettlement

Ads Up Canada works to provide an alternative pathway and durable solution to refugees who have been indefinitely detained by the Australian government on Manus (Papua New Guinea) and Nauru.

These persons sought asylum and safety in Australia but instead were detained for over 8 years in extremely poor conditions, most with no hope of resettlement.

From Uncertainty to Hope

Using Canada’s unique Private Sponsorship of Refugees program and in partnership with Operation #NotForgotten, our mission is to recruit, train and support hundreds of everyday Australian expats and Canadians who will welcome and support refugee newcomers.

Through our grassroots organizing skills and our standing as a federally incorporated Canadian charity, we are committed to helping Manus and Nauru refugees find a new home and safety in Canada.

Explore the Issues

Lake Tanganyika, Tanzania - December 28, 2009: A crowded boat is transporting refugees on Lake Tanganyika from the DR Congo into Tanzania.

Offshore Processing of Refugees

For two decades, Australia has subjected asylum seekers who arrive by boat without a valid visa to “third country processing” or “offshore processing”. This policy has endured through multiple governments and although billions of dollars have been spent, hundreds of refugees are still in limbo. Offshore detention is designed to be brutal; the evidence of poor conditions, abuse, harm and inadequate treatment suffered by those in detention is documented and clear.

Graphic of birds fly behind barbed wire

What is Operation #NotForgotten?

Operation #NotForgotten is a partnership between MOSAIC (a Sponsorship Agreement Holder based in Vancouver), Ads Up Canada and the Refugee Council of Australia, in cooperation with UNHCR Australia. Begun in 2019, it offers an alternative pathway and durable solution for refugees who have been indefinitely detained on PNG or Nauru as part of Australia’s offshore processing system since 2013.

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