An investigation of the challenges and exploration of what makes private refugee sponsorship successful. The research is based upon interviews with 34 key informants in Toronto, including sponsors from sponsorship groups, settlement sector staff and volunteers and Sponsorship Agreement Holders, which are organizations with signed government agreements to oversee the sponsorship and resettlement of refugees in their community.
When he moved to Canada three years ago, a Syrian pilot struggled to find a job. Now he helps newcomers get employed as quickly as possible. To help them overcome obstacles facing newcomers, he co-ordinates a wage subsidy program at the Immigrant Services Association of Nova Scotia. >> Newcomer support; Settlement
As a new Canadian once herself, an Edmonton settlement counsellor strives to make the transition to a new home easier on fledgling Edmontonians. >> Settlement
Syrians refugees admitted to Canada under the government’s landmark resettlement program are slowly catching up to other refugee groups when it comes to finding jobs and connecting with their communities.
The Managing Director at Accenture Development Partnerships and the CEO and Co-Founder of NeedsList offer a menu of specific ways companies, large and small, can help refugees during their entire journey — from camps to settlement to employment to thriving in their new communities.
From UNB’s Urban and Community Studies institute, Mikael Hellstrom conducted a two-year study, with a focus on Syrian refugee settlement and integration experiences in New Brunswick. One huge hurdle for immigrants is getting meaningful work.
PeaceGeeks is a Vancouver-based non-profit. Its latest project is the free Arrival Advisor app. It seeks to bridge existing gaps in accessibility of information for successful newcomer settlement. It allows immigrants and refugees in B.C. to find reliable, up-to-date information and services to get started in their new community—from housing, to education, to banking, and more—all in one place.
/https://www.thestar.com/content/dam/thestar/news/canada/2019/02/08/the-struggles-and-successes-of-five-syrian-refugee-families/cal_3kazmonz.jpg "The struggles and successes of five Syrian refugee families")
Housing. Language barriers. Child care. Jobs. Money. Family reunification. The ultimate goal of resettlement is integration into Canadian society. Here’s what it looks like for Syrian families three years into the biggest humanitarian effort in Canada’s recent history.
/https://www.thestar.com/content/dam/thestar/news/canada/2019/02/08/after-initial-euphoria-fades-the-stress-of-resettlement-triggers-trauma-in-syrian-refugees/main_qasem_alkafre_the_father_with_wife_and_two_sons_2_.jpg "After initial euphoria fades, the stress of resettlement triggers trauma in Syrian refugees")
Three years after Syrian refugees started arriving in Canada, mental health outcomes have fallen into a data gap when it comes to assessing how well they are integrating into Canadian society. Qasem Alkafre relies on weekly visits to Toronto’s Canadian Centre for Victims of Torture to help him talk through his nightmares.
/https://www.thestar.com/content/dam/thestar/news/canada/2019/02/08/settled-in-a-strange-land-what-life-is-like-in-canada-for-syrian-refugees/fatimaalsalehfamily.jpg "Settled in a strange land: What life is like in Canada for Syrian refugees")
The Star spent four months talking to dozens of settlement workers and Syrian refugees, who described ongoing language barriers and mental health struggles, as well as child-care, employment and housing woes. With a $1-billion price tag, there is a dearth of comprehensive data to show whether resettlement has been the unprecedented success the government says it is.
