Ep 40 - "We never lose with refugees": Canada's most important open door

What does it look like to open a door that changes everything?

In this episode of Undercurrents, we trace the remarkable story of how Canada became a world leader in refugee welcome — and why that legacy matters more now than ever.

Host Ken Ogasawara sits down with Mike Molloy, retired Foreign Service officer and one of the architects of the world's first private refugee sponsorship program, to hear how a small clause buried in a 1976 immigration act became a lifeline for hundreds of thousands of people fleeing the Indo-China wars. And how MCC became a foundational partner in making it all work.

We also hear from Kaylee Perez, MCC's Global Migration and Resettlement Strategic Initiatives Lead, who brings both professional expertise and deeply personal roots to this work. Her insight: the antidote to fear is proximity.

Together, their stories remind us that welcoming the stranger isn't a radical idea, it's foundational to our faith expression.

In this episode:

• Why Bill Janzen's "drop the rope" approach to government negotiation built something extraordinary
• What Hearts of Freedom — 170+ interviews with former refugees — reveals about gratitude, belonging, and Canadian identity
• Why 66% of Canadians still support refugee welcome, even if you'd never know it from the comments section
• How the We're Better Together campaign is equipping everyday people to shift the conversation in their own communities

The data is clear. Refugees strengthen Canada's workforce, arrive ready to contribute, see their incomes grow, and become citizens at remarkable rates. But as Kaylee reminds us — this was never just about economics. It's about who we want to be.

Ready to act?

• Learn about refugee sponsorship at mcc.org
• Join the We're Better Together campaign at the Canadian Council for Refugees: https://mcc.org/better-together
• Explore the Hearts of Freedom project: heartsoffreedom.org
• Use the discussion guide on our website to bring this conversation to your church or community group
• Send us a note at podcast@mcco.ca — we'd love to hear from you

Transcription is here.

Discussion guide here.

Undercurrents is sponsored in part by Kindred Credit Union.

Credits:

Production support from Christen Kong

Logo artwork by Jesse Bergen

Theme song by Brian MacMillan

Executive produced by Sandra Reimer.