Wonderful NEWS we reached Habibi's $20000 Target. Thank you.

Habibi's application has been submitted, he has his G number and he is waiting for his application to be processed now.

Habibi was in his 20’s and wanted to create safety, peace and harmony in Iraq for his people and fulfil his duty as a son to financially support his family. But instead, it endangered his life. His was in danger and he fled Iraq to Australia.

Habibi was forcibly detained in offshore detention for 6 1/2 years offshore. Currently, He has spent over a year held in mandatory detention awaiting medical treatment. There is no indication from the Australian Government what his future holds. No court can release him. Habibi is serving an indefinite sentence for NO CRIME.

Habibi's justice journey has led to nearly 9 years in detention. 28/11/21 Still in detention

‘All my life I have tried to do my best’

‘I can work. Hard work. I am ready’

Team Canada is excited to announce that today one Group of 5 family members are going to resettle BOTH Marley and Habibi. We are thrilled with our newest sponsors are hardworking Canadian Lebanese Syrian - Palestinian Egyptian Moroccan (in-laws) - Muslim professionals. This family are community oriented organizers and activists who speak Arabic and are Muslims the same as both Habibi and Marley.

Their home city of London Ontario offers great resettlement services and benefits from a diverse community both in terms of cultural background including both Iraqi for Habibi and Sudanese for Marley communities and religious diversity. An important goal for Project Freedom is to match our refugees with the best location and sponsors for them to have a great start as newcomers.

With 4 mosques and an Arabic speaking and culturally diverse family as sponsors, this partnership offers exactly what Marley and Habibi need for their future in Canada. Our Sponsorshave submitted Habibi'sMarley's applciation and they both have their G number.

We know that Aussies want both Habibi and Marley free.

Habibi ‘I need freedom because I need a new life. I miss freedom’

After nearly 9 years of suffering and waiting for freedom, Habibi deserves to heal and flourish in Canada. He’s ready to work hard for Canada.

Habibi ‘Canada gives me hope because I need release’

Please Share and Donate to make Habibi’s dream of freedom happen

https://chuffed.org/project/habibi

Habibi's NAB Reward Saver account details:
Jill Elizabeth Horton
BSB: 083555
Account number: 401191901

If donating with direct deposit contact Jill and I will issue a receipt. +61422619199

Team Canada thanks everyone for sharing and donating.

The response to Project Freedom has been AMAZING. $220000 has been raised by Team Canada so far for 9 men and Fari and Shah in Indonesia. 28/11/21

Habibi’s Story

Habibi was born into a caring, supportive and loving family at the end of the 8 year armed conflict of Iraq-Iran War. Habibi’s family survived the Gulf War, UN Sanctions on Iraq causing hardships suffered by ordinary Iraqis and US invasion and occupation of Iraq. When Habibi graduated from high school there were no jobs in Iraq and he faced mandatory conscription of 2 years with the Iraqi armed forces. As a son's duty, he helped his family every month with his pay during his military career. He remained another 4 years in the Military with the US army out of that duty to support his family. With the courage like a lion, Habibi was never afraid during his work with the SWAT-like team to create stability for his country. He was working to allow the US to withdraw from occupation in Iraq and give his country peace and harmony. But instead of peace, Habibi’s life was in danger as he became a target from militias and bombings due to his work with the US army.

‘I did the job because I had to and did not want to hurt people’

Habibi’s Long Journey Begins

In 2013, Habibi made the very difficult decision to leave his family and flee Iraq. His fear for his life and harm was in every aspect of his life. Habibi began a perilous journey from Iraq to Indonesia and across the sea, in an attempt to get to Australia where he thought he could live free from fear and to a place where he would have safety and freedom to work and marry. Habibi crossed the sea in a boat that was old and far from sea worthy for three gruelling days. The ocean was huge and scary even though he could swim. Eventually Habibi arrived in Christmas Island. Habibi thought that at last he had found safety and justice when arriving in Australia. He was wrong….

‘When I come to Australia, I think I get a life - work here and marry here.

After all this 7 years (in detention), nothing happen.

I am still waiting.

I am so tired.’

Offshore prisons are used by Australia to imprison refugees who arrived by boat. The Australian government calls the place where refugees were locked up as an ‘off shore processing centre’, many others have called it an experiment in the physical and psychological torture of refugees in an attempt to deter others from claiming asylum in Australia.

After a month on Christmas Island, Habibi was forcibly deported and locked in a detention compound in a windowless container for years. He was only allowed one cold 3 minute shower a day in the punishing heat and humidity of those offshore prison islands. Between 19 July 2013 and the last boat arrival on 27 July 2014, 79 boats arrived in Australia. There had not been a boat arrival in more than 950 days. Of the refugees on board, 1,596 were transferred to the Nauru Regional Processing Centre, 1,523 were transferred to the Manus Regional Processing Centre. Even though they were told no one would EVER be settled in Australia 1,414 were issued with bridging visas and brought directly to Australia. Many became sick, both physically and mentally and 12 died. Planned neglect and abuse to force them to leave and lose hope including staff telling them to go home daily. He was called only by his Boat number by all staff. The results of this abuse and neglect were medical and psychological illnesses from trauma, uncertainty and indefinite detention and abuse and violence from locals. MSF reported the worst mental health in the world that they have experienced on Nauru.

Habibi was not allowed a mobile phone and had his confiscated. He was forced to queue for hours in the sun for food, razors and appointments. Medical treatment was standardly paracetamol and water. He was only allowed one 10 minute phone call a week and mobile phones were banned. Food was also used to torment the refugees queuing for up to 1 hour only to find no food left or that it was rotten. He witnessed daily others suffering. Habibi had 2 botched surgeries and still has ongoing pain and issues that still have not been addressed even though he was brought to Australia for medical treatment.

Still No Freedom

‘I need freedom because I need a new life. I miss freedom’

Habibi spent 6 ½ years suffering offshore in prison, and a year currently being held in detention, still waiting for medical treatment and an indication from the Australian Government of what his future holds. Despite 4 hard perilous years working closely with the US Army, Habibi was rejected by the US for resettlement. All his dreams of freedom dashed again.

15 months ago, Habibi, after 2 botched surgeries offshore, was brought to Australia for medical treatment. He’s in mandatory detention even though he had clear security checks to come to Australia. No court can release him.

Habibi has no idea when this indefinite nightmare will end. It’s particularly difficult in these times of the Coronavirus. With no way to isolate or use social distancing, Habibi and the others live in constant fear of the virus being brought in by the revolving staff.

The Australian government does not have to EVER release him from Mandatory Detention. He is not eligible to settle in Australia or claim asylum. Habibi is serving an indefinite prison sentence for No Crime. He has a right under the Geneva Convention to claim asylum, which Australia has signed but does not honour.

Habibi’s dreams of HOPE and WORK

Habibi’s dreams are simple and beautiful. He is optimistic, generous, courageous, enthusiastic and has a romantic heart. Habibi is friends with everyone. He’s ready to work hard and believes he can do anything that he tries by putting in the hard yards. He simply wants to live a normal, peaceful life where he can work and marry.

As an Arabic speaker, he has spent his time in detention teaching himself and perfecting his English and staying well, fit and active. He loves running, pushups, playing football and swimming. His Father, a teacher of sport, taught him to swim in Iraq. He loves Real Madrid and excels playing football. He loves Arabic, romantic Habibi and English music. He has so much to offer the world; he just needs the chance to live as a free man. Habibi really misses his family and waits for the day to see them again. He’s looking forward to sharing with his family beautiful Arabic food and fighting about if FC Barcelona or Real Madrid is better. After 7 over years of suffering and waiting for freedom, Habibi deserves to heal and flourish in Canada. He’s ready to work hard for Canada. Please share and donate to make his dream of freedom happen.

‘Canada gives me hope because I need release’

300 refugees from offshore registered to apply to Canada. Help Habibi make that journey.

There is hope

We need your help looking for a Group of 5 Canadian citizens or permanent residents to team up to bring Habibi to future. Before we can submit an application, we need to confirm to the Canadian government that we have funds placed in a secure account and group of 5 to support his first 12 months of life in Canada.

Your donation will contribute 100% to Habibi's living expenses for the first year, including: (no government fees or application costs nor wages fundraised)

+ 12 months of income

+ housing

+ food staples

+ startup costs

+ household needs

+ furniture

+ clothing

+Flight to Canada

Habibi's NAB Reward Saver account details:
Jill Elizabeth Horton
BSB: 083555
Account number: 401191901

Please if donating with direct deposit contact me and I will issue a receipt. +61422619199

Every dollar we raise will be held in trust by Jill Horton and will go directly towards Habibi's first year of support. When he arrives in Canada, the funds will be disbursed to him immediately, as per the guidelines established by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada. If Habibi is unable to come to Canada or his application cancelled for any reason, your donation will be directed towards the sponsorship of another Manus or Nauru refugee trapped in detention.

NOTE: These are funds for Habibi to live on during his first year in Canada and extra money fundraised may go towards the next person who is in detention in Australia to be sponsored to Canada by Jill Horton.

Team Canada – Project Freedom

Project Freedom is an initiative by Team Canada to assist refugees who are caught in the cruelty of Australia’s indefinite refugee processing system. Refugees who attempted to reach Australia by boat in 2013 were subject to a unique, arbitrary, and non-transparent policy that banned them from ever settling in Australia yet offered no durable solution for third country resettlement.

In 2013 Australia outsourced 4,183 men, women and children to the tiny Pacific island nations of Papua New Guinea (PNG) and Nauru, to languish in limbo while waiting for permanent settlement in a third country. After a protracted and cruel detention, they were released into local communities that only allowed for the most basic existence. Eventually a deal was brokered with the United States, who committed to resettling 1250 refugees, but has taken over 4 years and is still ongoing for nearly 300 people.

As we enter the eighth year of uncertainty, there are still 290 refugees stuck on PNG and Nauru with no avenue for resettlement. Another 220 refugees were transferred to Australia for physical and mental health treatment (a direct result of offshore living conditions) and are currently residing in Australian detention centres. There is another 1220 placed in the community with no chance of a permanent visa and no options for a place to call home. These people have had almost a decade of their lives stolen from them.

When there seemed to be no light at the end of the tunnel, Team Canada assisted the first refugee from PNG to enter Canada on a community sponsored visa and finally get his FREEDOM.

When refugee charity groups heard about Team Canada’s success, volunteers began assisting refugees to apply through a Canadian charity; however, the mechanisms for assessing 400 eligible claims and submitting applications was restricted due to the sheer scale of the project and annual allocations. The result is that 300 refugees are still waiting on a register without confirmation they are eligible for support.

And so, Team Canada – Project Freedom was born, to offer an alternative pathway to Canada for refugees from PNG and Nauru. We support applicants from start to finish, one at a time, because we believe that these refugees have waited at the end of a queue for long enough. Seven years of queueing is long enough.

We know that everyday Australians care about the effect that indefinite detention has had on refugees. With many helping hands, we can quickly achieve sponsorship for each applicant, creating the opportunity for another refugee to tell their story and invite new friends to be a part of their journey.

To join our current applicant, Habibi, on his journey to freedom find out more about his story here

Team Canada – Project Freedom FAQS

Who is Team Canada?

Stephen Watt in Toronto and Jill Horton in Port Macquarie grew up 45 minutes away from each other in central Ontario, Canada. The inspiration for the Team Canada project began in 2017 after Jill went to Manus Island and felt the need to take action to alleviate the humanitarian crisis of the offshore Australian detention system. With the help of Stephen Watt, a fellow volunteer and humanitarian, she put her efforts into helping refugees start a new life in Canada through that country’s private sponsorship program, one of the only avenues of resettlement available to many of the Manus and Nauru detainees.

Stephen Watt is a volunteer and refugee advocate based in Toronto, Canada. For the past 5 years he has worked on 70+ applications for over 100 refugees from around the world, through Group of Five, Community Sponsor and Sponsorship Agreement Holder arrangements. The first two men Stephen sponsored from Manus, including Amir Sahragard, arrived in late October 2019 in Toronto. He has written applications for over 20 other detainees from indefinite offshore detention system who are still waiting to come to Canada. On November 19, 2020, Stephen was honoured for his volunteer and advocacy work on behalf of refugees when he was presented with the Irv Carvalho Humanitarian Award at the National Citizenship and Immigration Conference, featuring Canada’s Minister of Immigration as the keynote speaker.

Stephen serves to assess the refugee’s asylum claim and edits and finalizes the application, including the sponsor and financial forms. He works closely with the settlement teams to provide guidance on the private sponsorship process and duties and responsibilities once the refugee arrives. This is part of his wider goal of connecting refugees to sponsors and opportunities for resettlement through Canada’s private sponsorship program, carried out through his volunteer organization Northern Lights Canada.

Jill Horton is from Collingwood, Ontario and for the past 25 years has been based in Australia as an educator and social worker, focused on trauma. She has been supporting people from offshore and detention for the past 5 years including spending time in Manus in 2017.

Jill is fully responsible and committed to raising $20000 funds for each refugee, completion of the refugee application and sourcing and matching sponsors for the refugee. She is responsible for working with others to assess if the refugee fits the criteria for Team Canada Project Freedom.

Jill’s background in trauma allows her to emotionally support each Team Canada refugee on their long journey as well as liaise with and educate the sponsors. Jill in her fundraising for this project has raised $67,000 in the past 3 months. She also presents to groups about the project and the history of offshore detention. Jill is in ongoing communication and provides emotional support to these men, some daily or every few days. She prides herself in providing transparent and timely communications with both the detainees and their funders and sponsors.

What exactly happens with my donation?

Team Canada are UNPAID committed volunteers. Your donation contributes 100% to the refugee’s living expenses for their first year in Canada. There are no government fees or application costs. Your donation will NOT fund wages for admin staff.

Team Canada are committed to this project for love, hope and humanity.

Team Canada opens an individual bank account for each refugee’s fundraiser until the target amount is achieved. The money is then transferred to the sponsors’ trust account where it remains, as required by Canadian immigration, until the refugee arrives.

If you donate through Chuffed, you will receive an online receipt. If you decide to deposit funds directly into the nominated bank account, you will receive a receipt from Jill on request, as well as information about how the money is held.

Team Canada’s fundraising is directed at Aussies because it is the Australian government’s despicable policy of torture and indefinite detention that is responsible for these refugees’ trauma and ill health. We say, “Not in my name!” With the collaboration of Australian funds and Canadian sponsors, we can work together to move on from this dark time in our country’s history.

For any questions about the funds in Australia before we transfer them to Canada, please contact Jill directly on +61 422 619 199.

What is Group of 5?

Any group of five approved Canadians can privately sponsor a refugee to live in Canada, providing the applicant’s refugee claim has been assessed as genuine and the sponsors lodge the funds for the refugee’s living expenses for their first year in Canada. Team Canada fundraises the money on behalf of Canadians who might not be in a financial position to sponsor a refugee but would love to be a part of their support network in their new hometown. Find out more about Group of 5 sponsorship here.

Unlike the allocations given to organisations, which place a cap on the number of refugees they can sponsor in a calendar year, Group of 5 applications can be submitted at any time. This means that Team Canada will never accept more applications than they can submit in a calendar year, and leave people waiting until the next year’s allocations renew.

All refugees from PNG and Nauru with a Refugee Status Determination (RSD) document are eligible to find their own Group of 5 sponsors and submit a claim for asylum directly to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada. Refugees do not need an organisation to assist them to apply to Canada for asylum.

CAUTION: Refugees should seek information directly from MOSAIC before embarking on an alternative pathway, otherwise you might find your MOSAIC case closed without warning.

If you would like to read some real-life success stories of refugees sponsored via Canada’s Group of 5 pathway, see this article featuring Team Canada’s own Stephen Watt. Also, check out Stephen's Northern Lights sponsorship guide.

How do you choose the applicant and Group of 5 sponsors?

Team Canada considers only single people in possession of an Refugee Status Determination (RSD) document from PNG or Nauru, rejected by the US process and in detention in Australia. To make it as fair as possible, a different culture is chosen each time. So far, we have sponsored a Pakistani, Ahwazi, Sudanese and Iraqi – three from PNG and one from Nauru. To make the project achievable, the person must be not married and without children as a fundraising level of $20,000 AUD is most manageable for this grassroots fundraising effort.

There is NO favouritism or NOR is there “choosing” a refugee based on the cultural preferences of a sponsor or donor. Most of these refugees Team Canada has fundraised mostly for those who had little or no supporters in Australia.

Team Canada sought guidance from medical and medevac clinicians, Australian and Canadian refugee supporters, organisations and groups and the Refugee Sponsorship Training Program in Toronto. The criterion considers support networks, language, English skills, overall vulnerability and protective factors, family dynamics and locations, skills, well-being, medical and psychological health, character and strength of case criteria.

We take the time to get to know each applicant personally and assess their history thoroughly before matching them up with suitable sponsors and locations. We treat these people with care and respect

What services does Team Canada – Project Freedom offer to applicants?

As part of its aim of getting the refugees ready for their new life in Canada, our organization arranges private online English instruction for each sponsored refugee. As soon as Team Canada secures the sponsors, they are part of an online chat support group that brings together the settlement team, teacher and the refugee, with Jill and Stephen providing further support and guidance. Team Canada is committed to the ongoing well-being of each refugee it helps sponsor.

The main responsibility of the Group of 5 is to help resettle the refugee in their first year in Canada. The connection between the refugee and the settlement team begins much earlier than that, from the time the application is submitted. Team Canada is dedicated providing the sponsors with an ongoing support and understanding of the history of offshore detention, as well as the necessary trauma-informed support for each sponsored refugee.

Please Share and Donate for Habibi Team Canada's 4th fundraiser https://chuffed.org/project/habibi

Team Canada – Stephen & Jill. January 2019. Toronto

What does Team Canada need now?

Team Canada is searching for citizens or permanent residents in Canada to become refugee resettlement groups anywhere but Quebec. Each Group of 5 people will provide moral and communications support to the refugees while they wait for their application to be processed in Australia, and then welcome and support their sponsored refugees during their first year of settlement in Canada.

As a sponsoring group, you would:

Provide basic financial management and settlement assistance including:

Housing (shared accommodation is fine), banking, health care, driver’s licence, education, emotional support and dealing with refugee trauma. Here’s a list of the top 10 settlement duties after the refugee arrives.

A settlement plan showing the breakdown of duties shared by the sponsor team members and the social services available in their community of settlement. We have great examples of settlement plans for other successful applications.

We also need to grow our volunteers and network in Australia to fundraise the $20,000 each for more people in detention to apply to Canada for asylum. There are 300 detained refugees waiting and we would love to help more than four people. Please share Habibi’s fundraiser as without the funds it is nearly impossible to find sponsors.

Please contact Jill with ideas for fundraising, if you want to volunteer and contacts for sponsors in Canada. Marley and Habibi are still waiting for sponsors so their applications can be submitted.

By joining Team Canada, caring donors, sponsors and volunteers can make a real difference for these men in detention. We can show that caring Aussies are going to end their suffering without the permission or need from the Australian government. So far, Jill has single-handedly raised $67,000 in just 3 months – imagine what we can do together. Project Freedom knows offering permanent residence in Canada is key to real safety, a future and a HOME.

Please Share and Donate for Habibi Team Canada's

https://chuffed.org/project/habibi

PLEASE DONATE OR VOLUNTEER TO SUPPORT TEAM CANADA’S WORK

TO END INDEFINITE DETENTION NIGHTMARE

Team Canada – Project Freedom- Contacts

Jill Horton BSW BEd Stephen Watt

Port Macquarie NSW Australia Toronto Ontario Canada

+61422619199 +14169043467

jillelizabethhorton@gmail.com stephen_watt@hotmail.com

QUESTIONS? Team Canada Website

https://www.northernlightscanada.net/about/team-canada

Team Canada Testimonials

_________________________________________________________________________

Paul McKinlay, Buddies Director, Buddies Refugee Support Group is a Sunshine Coast group that advocates for just and compassionate treatment of asylum seekers and refugees.

Love the work you are doing - positive and practical in a time of struggle and uncertainty.

_____________________________________________________________________

Jane Salmon, Publicist & Advocate, National Justice Project

To Whom It May Concern

I have known Jill Horton as a refugee campaigner and advocate since 2016.

Jill’s work and impact in obtaining Canadian sponsorship for refugees is not duplicated in any other Australian group or organisation.

Jill’s integrity and independence have ensured that there are no overheads and that all outcomes directly benefit those she nominates as being supported.

Jill has no agenda other than to ensure that as many refugees are treated fairly and that those who have been abused offshore since 2013 find safe homes.

I strongly endorse the work of Jill to you.

Jane Salmon

Publicist & Advocate

National Justice Project

______________________________________________________________________

George Webb, Coldstream Ontario Canada Sponsor Team member for Shan from Pakistan via Manus in detention Mantra Hotel

To Whom It May Concern

Members of Coldstream Monthly Meeting (Quakers) responded to a request by Jill Horton for a Group of 5 to support bringing refugees to Canada. The group of 5 is one of the categories for sponsorship recognized by the Canadian government. Usually with refugee sponsorship the first and often most difficult task is raising money to support them for the first year they are in Canada. In this case Jill is raising money in Australia and raises money for their first year. We have the money in the bank now. To get them here the refugee and immigration forms must be filled out. That is partly done in Australia organised by Jill Horton with the help of Stephen Watt in Toronto. Stephen is very responsive to our questions and gets back to us promptly

We have to get police checks have a passport and demonstrate that we have some skills to help in resettlement because what we have to do is help get people settled. This means a place to live, health cards, SIN numbers, food, furniture and education. That may be English as a second language but their English is good perhaps helping them look for work. We are in the process of collecting our paperwork. Stephen has been reviewing what we have and suggesting what we still need or in some cases don't need.

To date, Team Canada have been very good communicators keeping in touch and answering questions.

We think this is a great opportunity to help people get a better life. The young man we are sponsoring has been in detention for 8 years. His family was killed and he had to flee. He went to Australia and was promptly put in detention with no chance of release until he is accepted in another country. We talk to him regularly on face book and have had a zoom meeting with the young man, Jill, and Stephen as well as some Quakers in Australia and an English teacher in England.

If you have some time to help the person selected it would be a great benefit to the person to Canada and yourselves. We have been engaged in refugee resettlement for 14 years. We have been impressed with the dedication of the people coming here most of them are working some are employing others in their own businesses and as we get to know them we become friends and learn more about the world we live in

George Webb

Coldstream Ontario Canada

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