Building Capacity for Private Sponsorship in the European Union (CAPS-EU) Project

The Building Capacity for Private Sponsorship in the European Union (CAPS-EU) project is working to build European, national and local government, and nongovernmental stakeholders’ capacity to design, implement, sustain, and scale up community sponsorship programmes for refugees.

Led by the Irish Refugee Protection Programme (IRPP) and supported by the Belgian reception agency (Fedasil) and Migration Policy Institute Europe (MPI Europe), the three-year project is co-financed by the European Commission under the Asylum, Migration, and Integration Fund. It seeks to benefit policymakers, civil-society actors that manage sponsorship relationships, and sponsors by giving them the practical tools and requisite knowledge to overcome obstacles to the success and eventual growth of their programmes.

Long term, CAPS-EU will benefit sponsored persons, via stronger relationships with their sponsors and the availability of more sponsorship places, and host communities, who will more meaningfully connect with newcomers. The project seeks to serve the needs of both emerging and established sponsorship states.

Research generated under the project is collected here.

POLICY BRIEF: Why Matching Matters: Improving Outcomes in Refugee Sponsorship and Complementary Pathways
In community sponsorship and other programs that directly involve communities and individuals in supporting refugees’ arrival and integration, where and with whom refugees are matched matters a great deal. This policy brief explores the ongoing evolution of approaches taken to matching refugees with sponsors or receiving communities, highlighting innovations and opportunities for further improvements.

POLICY BRIEF: From Safe Homes to Sponsors: Lessons from the Ukraine Hosting Response for Refugee Sponsorship Programs
As millions of people fled Ukraine and sought safety in countries across Europe after Russia's 2022 invasion, community-led projects emerged to help newcomers find temporary housing in private homes. These hosting initiatives have helped quickly address a pressing housing need, fill gaps in official reception services, and engage communities in welcoming refugees. But they have also posed challenges, as this policy brief discusses.

REPORT: Attracting, Retaining, and Diversifying Sponsors for Refugees in Community Sponsorship Programs
By involving community members in welcoming refugee newcomers, community sponsorship programs hold the potential to open new protection pathways, better support refugee integration, and strengthen social cohesion. This MPI Europe report explores common challenges to the recruitment and retention of sponsors as well as strategies to address them, with a close look at experiences in Belgium, Germany, and Ireland.

WEBINAR: Strengthening Refugee Engagement in Community Sponsorship Programs
Speakers on this CAPS-EU webinar examined the challenges that hinder refugee participation in sponsorship program design and explore meaningful ways, tools, and mechanisms to effectively expand refugees’ role in current and future programmes.