Meanwhile, two programs allow private citizens and permanent residents to sponsor refugees and provide full or partial support to them.One program sees sponsors support the newcomers financially during their first year and help them navigate health and social services. Another program, called the “blended visa office-referred program,” allows sponsors to share costs and resettlement support with the government.

Refugees arriving through all three programs are eligible for provincial health insurance.

Privately sponsored refugees had the lowest reported rates of major illnesses after one year, the research indicated.

The study found that the use of mental health services is low among all refugee groups and noted that some children may be accessing mental health support through community resources.

The UN refugee agency said Canada has welcomed more than one million refugees since 1980 and the country came first in the world in 2019 in terms of the number of accepted refugees, with more than 30,000 refugees arriving in Canada that year.