AURA’s origins lie in Canadians’ response to the refugee crisis in Southeast Asia during the late 1970s. Refugees fleeing Vietnam became known as the “boat people” and prompted the creation of Canada’s current refugee sponsorship programs.
AURA is the result of the merger of two agencies: Toronto United Church Emergency Refugee Relief (TUCERR) and the Working Group on Refugee Resettlement (WGRR). TUCERR began in 1985 to aid political refugees held in poor conditions at Pearson International Airport and established the Jean Watt Residence. WGRR, founded the same year, aimed to facilitate refugee sponsorship through churches.
In 1994, TUCERR joined WGRR. This merger allowed WGRR to focus on both overseas sponsorship and supporting inland refugee claimants. AURA’s evolution continued with a name change in 2006 to Anglican United Refugee Alliance, emphasizing community education and engagement in private refugee sponsorship.
