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. It began in 2019 as an initiative between MOSAIC and Canada Caring in Vancouver, and Ads Up Canada formally joined in 2020. Operation Not Forgotten 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. The program is for those who were involuntarily transferred to either Manus or Nauru from Australia and who have been rejected from the USA resettlement process. In other words, these are people who have no other options for resettlement. Since the first applications were submitted in December, 2019, over 145 applications for refugees have been submitted and nearly 100 for family members of refugees.
Partners in Operation #NotForgotten
Each partner in Operation #NotForgotten (ONF) plays an important role.
MOSAIC, as both a Sponsorship Agreement Holder and migrant settlement agency, serves as the coordinator of ONF. In coordination with volunteers in Australia, their team of professionals ensures that sponsorship applications are completed in line with Canadian Government requirements and they retain all funds required for the income support of refugees after their arrival in Canada. For further information, see this link.
Ads Up Canada is responsible for the recruitment, support and, in partnership with MOSAIC, the training of settlement teams. We also work to fundraise, directing donations for sponsorships through the Refugee Council of Australia (RCoA).
The Refugee Council of Australia (RCoA) coordinates and promotes tax-deductible donations from Australians and also advocates with government bodies to address issues that arise. For further information or to make a donation directly through RCoA, see this link.
The UNHCR office in Canberra provides advice and coordination to ensure that ONF complements efforts to resettle Manus and Nauru refugees in the USA and elsewhere.
