Lessons in Refugee Resettlement

Julie DroletAssociate ProfessorFaculty of Social Work

January 17, 2017

Welcome

Associate Professor of Social Work at the University of Calgary

PhD and MSW from McGill University; BSW from University of Regina and BA from University of Toronto

Research focuses on international social work including Canadian immigrant and refugee settlement and disaster social work and recovery

Former UNFPA Program Officer in Cameroon and UNHCR Intern in Malawi

In 2016, awarded a Killam Emerging Research Leader Award (SSHRC)

Invited member of the Western Region Research Advisory Committee

Co-Investigator in Pathways to Prosperity Research Partnership (www.p2pcanada.ca)

Co-edited a new book “Canadian Perspectives on Immigration in Small Cities” published in 2016

Outline

Key definitions Global and Canadian

context Resettlement journey

of refugees and settlement needs

Situation of Syrian refugees

Welcoming community, best practices and lessons learned

Who is a Refugee?

The 1951 Refugee Convention states that:

“a refugee is a person who has fled his/her country because of a well-founded fear of persecution on one of five grounds: race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group or political opinion” (UN, 1951).

(UNHCR/Ivor Prickett)

Global Refugee Crisis

According to UNHCR we are witnessing the highest levels of displacement on record (UNHCR, 2016)

UNHCR Global Trends report finds 65.3 million people, or one person in 113, were displaced from their homes by conflict and persecution in 2015 (UNHCR, 2016)

The vast majority of the world’s refugees – nine out of 10 – are hosted in the global South. Half are children, and half come from three war-torn countries – Syria, Afghanistan and Somalia (UNHCR, 2016)

(UNHCR, Hollandse Hoogte/Warren Richardson)

Global Refugee Crisis

Global context• stats

Durable Solutions

There are three durable solutions:

• Voluntary repatriation • Refugee return in safety and dignity to their country of origin and re-avail themselves of national

protection• Local integration

• Refugees integrate in the host country and avail themselves of the national protection of the host government

• Resettlement

Resettlement definition:

“Resettlement involves the selection and transfer of refugees from a State in which they have sought protection to a third State which has agreed to admit them – as refugees – with permanent residence status. The status provided ensures protection against refoulement and provides a resettled refugee and his/her family or dependants with access to rights similar to those enjoyed by nationals. Resettlement also carries with it the opportunity to eventually become a naturalized citizen of the resettlement country” (UNHCR, 2011, p. 3).

Impact of Resettlement

Over the past 60 years resettlement has provided millions of people with protection and the opportunity to build new lives for themselves and their families

Refugees have made important contributions to the countries that received them

Canada is an immigrant-receiving nation Communities must be prepared to welcome and

support resettled refugees

Context in Canada

Population • Aging population and

aging workforce; 320,932 newcomers in 2016; total population is 36,300,000

Welcoming Country• Canada is one of the

most welcoming societies among immigrant-receiving countries

Humanitarianism• Canada’s history and

strong commitment to humanitarian goals by resettling refugees

Integration model

Director General, Integration-FCRO, IRCC, 2016

Resettlement

The three refugee streams:

Government Assisted Refugees (GARs)• Supported by the federal government for one year

Privately Sponsored Refugees (PSRs)• Supported by private sponsors for one year

Blended Visa Office-Referred Refugees (BVORs)• Supported by federal government and private sponsors,

each covering costs for six months of the first year

Settlement Journey

Before arriving in Canada• Pre-arrival services delivered

in-person and online information on living and working in Canada• Orientation Abroad classes

for refugees(CIC, 2016)

Short-term

(Infographic, CIC, 2016)

Medium-term

(Infographic, CIC, 2016)

Medium-term• Resettlement Assistance Program (RAP) support for ARs• Service Provider Organizations (SPO) help newcomers

integrate by providing assistance with:• needs assessment and referrals;• information and orientation to help newcomers make informed

settlement decisions;• language assessment and training to help adult newcomers function

in Canadian society and contribute to the economy;• support for newcomers to find and retain employment, including

referrals to assess foreign credentials;• building networks in communities; and• helping refugees fill out forms for health insurance, social insurance

numbers, school registration and other necessities.

(Infographic, CIC, 2016)

Long-term• Because learning a new language, finding employment

and fully integrating into a new community takes time, settlement support services are available as long as a newcomer is a permanent resident. • It is not expected that all refugees will be able to fully

support themselves after just one year in Canada. • Refugees are also encouraged to access as many free

settlement support services as they need to help them succeed in their settlement journey.

Settlement Needs

Resettled refugees require support to integrate into their new communities

Photos (UNHCR) #WithRefugees

Settlement Needs

Employment Language Social integration Places, communities and

housing Settlement sector Immigration policies and

processes

Education Recreation Public transportation Spiritual and religious

organizations Women, children and family Health and wellness

(UNHCR/Zsolt Balla) (UNHCR/Haidar Darwish)

Resettlement Assistance Program (RAP)

Services are mainly for GARs• Immediate and essential services include:

• reception at port-of-entry• transport to temporary accommodation• information and referrals to public services• assistance in finding permanent housing• life skills training• financial information

• Income support• One-time start up allowance to cover costs for furniture, clothing,

basis household supplies• Monthly income support (food, shelter, other necessities) for 12

months (@ social assistance rates)

Settlement Program

Settlement and integration services are available free-of-charge to permanent residents, including refugees:• Information and orientation• Literacy and language training• Labour market access support (access to jobs)• Community connections• Support services

Syrian Refugees

On November 24, 2015 the Government of Canada announced a five- phased plan to welcome 25,000 Syrian refugees in Canada as quickly as possible. This goal was achieved on February 27, 2016 (Tunis, 2016).

Government Plan

(Tunis, 2016)

#WelcomeRefugees

(Tunis, 2016)

Destination by Province/Territory

(Tunis, 2016)

Welcoming Community

Winston and Tina Bromley, along with Tanna and Joe Edwards, are part of a group of volunteers that has helped the Eshadi family to resettle in Peterborough, Canada. © UNHCR/Annie Sakkab/Leyland Cecco

Video Clip

http://www.unhcr.org/news/stories/2016/12/583c49a74/canadian-community-helped-heal-wounds-war.html

Best Practices

Canada’s unique two-way model of integration Settlement program Whole-of-society approach to immigrant integration

• Provinces and territories fund complementary settlement services, in addition to education, health and social services• Municipalities provide community support services such as

housing and public transport• Service providers deliver services in communities large and

small • Local immigration partnerships (LIPs)

Report on Syrian Resettlement

“Finding Refuge in Canada: A Syrian Resettlement Story” – Report of the Standing Senate Committee on Human Rights (December 2016)• Delays, bureaucracy and unequal treatment• Income support• High cost of housing• Immigration loans program• Language training• Employment• Mental health and response to refugee trauma• Violence against women• Family reunification

Recent lessons

Recent lessons learned from the Syrian refugee initiative:• Housing

• Availability of affordable and suitable housing especially for large family sizes• Education

• Specialized guidance is needed in classroom services for children and youth in the school system

• Income Assistance• A significant number of GARs are expected to transition from RAP to provincial social

assistance• Health and Mental Health

• Some refugees have complex health and mental health needs• Employment

• Increased access to training and labour market integration supports• Settlement Services

• Language training, child care supports and social inclusion opportunities

(Director General, Integration-FCRO, IRCC, 2016)

AAISA Report

“Provincial Needs Assessment: Improving Refugee Resettlement in Alberta”• Findings show that positive refugee resettlement experiences

result from holistic programming that meets clients’ needs• Language• Housing• Health• Social integration• Employment

• Inventory of services in Alberta that strongly reflects the basic needs of refugees

(AAISA, 2016)

Refugees in Alberta

(AAISA, 2016)

Urban/Rural Context

Services by Location

(AAISA, 2016, p. 40)Rural areas include Airdrie, Chestermere, Cochrane, Drumheller, Grand Prairie, High River, Vulcan, Cold Lake and Okotoks (AAISA, 2016, p. 54)

Settlement Practitioners

There is great appreciation for the work of settlement practitioners and service providers• Client-centred programming that responds to the needs of

refugees• First-language services• Culturally-sensitive and culturally-appropriate services• Childcare• Collaboration, communication and information sharing• Welcoming community and community connections

including cultural brokers, events and wrap-around services(AAISA, 2016)

Alberta Syrian Refugee Resettlement Project

This current study aims to better understand the resettlement experiences of Syrian refugees in Alberta from their perspectives

Study commissioned by AAISA, and led by Habitus Collective and Julie Drolet, with funding from IRCC

Study includes GARs, PSRs and BVORs in Edmonton, Red Deer, Calgary, Lethbridge and Medicine Hat

Alberta Syrian Refugee Resettlement Project

Since November 4, 2016, Alberta has received 4,196 Syrian refugees

Qualitative research using surveys and interviews with Syrian refugees

Results will be available in March 2017

Refugee Study - Dimensions

Language

EmploymentSocial Connections

Strategies

To ensure adequate support for all refugees by taking into account demographic factors such as age, gender, education, language, and other factors

To advocate for adequate income support and financial support to meet refugees’ resettlement needs

To assist with finding adequate and affordable housing To volunteer and assist with refugees’ settlement and

long-term integration by becoming involved and/or supporting language training; employment, training and education; mental health and appropriate responses to refugee trauma; and social connections

Strategies

To support immigrant and refugee serving agencies in local communities

To assist with the development of culturally appropriate interventions that address mental health including ongoing trauma and post-traumatic stress disorder

To facilitate family reunification of resettled refugees with members of their family still abroad facing persecution

Summary

Canada offers refugees a path to permanent residence, citizenship and resettlement/settlement services

Settlement and integration take time, and require support

Alberta aims to be a welcoming and inclusive province where refugees and their communities thrive together

Thank You

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References

AAISA. (2016). Provincial needs assessment: Improving refugee resettlement in Alberta. Retrieved from http://aaisa.ca/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/AAISA-Provincial-Needs-Assessment-Final-Report-October-2016.pdf

Director General, Integration-FCRO, IRCC. (2016). Immigrant integration in Canada: A whole-of-society approach to help newcomers succeed. Retrieved from http://p2pcanada.ca/wp-content/blogs.dir/1/files/2016/12/Corinne-Prince-ENG-p2p1026.pdf

Tunis, D. (2016). Syrian refugee resettlement initiative. Retrieved from http://p2pcanada.ca/wp-content/blogs.dir/1/files/2016/12/Deborah-Tunis-p2p2016.pdf

UNHCR. (2016). Figures at a glance. Retrieved from http://www.unhcr.org/figures-at-a-glance.html

UNHCR. (2011). UNHCR resettlement handbook. Retrieved from www.refworld.org/docid/4ecb973c2.html