About the Project
In usual times, the settlement of refugees in Canada can be a complex process requiring a network of support services. However, the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbates these challenges significantly by reducing access to formal and informal supports, decreasing opportunities for income generation, creating barriers to basic needs, and putting pressure on social, physical, and mental wellbeing. Additionally, settlement services struggle to find timely information from public health in the first languages of those they are supporting. The purpose of this qualitative case study is to understand the experiences of those resettling in the midst of the pandemic. Through this analysis we will generate recommendations that can guide adaptive settlement practices for government-assisted refugees (GARs), with a particular focus on services offered through the nation-wide settlement program under Client Support Services (CSS) and the Resettlement Assistance Program (RAP).
Research Questions:
- How have GAR families experienced relocation at the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic?
- What has worked for them and what has not?
- What strategies are being adopted for settlement organization staff to adapt to the Covid-19 context?
- What are the strengths and challenges for providing appropriate support for the newcomer population within this context?
Six GAR families who had arrived in London, ON. from Syria and Iraq and seven London Cross Cultural Learning Centre staff completed in-depth qualitative interviews.
Research Team
Abe Oudshoorn, Fawziah Rabiah-Mohammed, Dr. Susana Caxaj, Victoria Esses & Sarah Benbow.
Collaborators
London Cross Cultural Learning Centre
Funding
Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC).
Findings
Six key themes were identified:
- “We do not know yet”: Living in a void
- “Limited choice”: Finding services in a virtual world
- “Between four walls”: Missing connection
- “You cannot read”: An English online environment
- “We have our God”: Gratitude, struggle, concerns, and resilience
- “Thank you”: Staff carrying a burden of compassion
Recommendations for settlement services include:
- Hybrid model of settlement services
- Prioritize internet connectivity immediately upon arrival
- Review the structure and flow of education for newcomers
Recommendations for IRCC include:
- Expedite access to child benefits for new arrivals
Recommendations for the Government of Ontario include:
- Better align social assistance income with cost of living as rent is rapidly outpacing income assistance
- Translation of materials across health and social services
- If health and social services are providing more virtual contact and support, there needs to be a better process of communicating with people who are waiting.
Knowledge Translation
To access a presentation, please click here.