National Project, A | McGill-Queen’s University Press

A detailed examination of the experiences of refugees and receiving communities during Canada's Operation Syrian Refugee from 2015 to 2016.

Since the outbreak of the Syrian Civil War in 2011, over 5.6 million people have fled Syria and another 6.6 million remain internally displaced. By January 2017, a total of 40,081 Syrians had sought refuge across Canada in the largest resettlement event the country has experienced since the Indochina refugee crisis.

Breaking new ground in an effort to understand and learn from the Syrian Refugee Resettlement Initiative that Canada launched in 2015, A National Project examines the experiences of refugees, receiving communities, and a range of stakeholders who were involved in their resettlement, including sponsors, service providers, and various local and municipal agencies. The contributors, who represent a wide spectrum of disciplines, include many of Canada's leading immigration scholars and others who worked directly with refugees. Considering the policy behind the program and the geographic and demographic factors affecting it, chapters document mobilization efforts, ethical concerns, integration challenges, and varying responses to resettling Syrian refugees from coast to coast. Articulating key lessons to be learned from Canada's program, this book provides promising strategies for future events of this kind.

Showcasing innovative practices and initiatives, A National Project captures a diverse range of experiences surrounding Syrian refugee resettlement in Canada.

Details

Part of the McGill-Queen's Refugee and Forced Migration Studies Series (number 2 in series)

440 Pages, 6 x 9

9 tables, 1 diagram

ISBN 9780228001225

August 2020

Formats: Paperback, eBook

"A National Project gives equal weight to the experiences of the refugees and the experiences of the receiving communities, sponsors, and institutions, setting it apart from previous studies of Canada resettlement operations. This timely book breaks new ground by involving scholars from coast to coast in an effort to understand and extract the lessons from the Syrian program." Michael J. Molloy, University of Ottawa

Leah K. Hamilton is associate professor in the Bissett School of Business at Mount Royal University.

Luisa Veronis is associate professor in the Department of Geography, Environment and Geomatics and research chair in immigration and Franco-Ontarian communities at the University of Ottawa.

Margaret Walton-Roberts is professor of geography and environmental studies at Wilfrid Laurier University and the Balsillie School of International Affairs.

Figures and Tables xi

Foreword xiii
Ümit Kiziltan

Acknowledgments xxiii

Note about the Cover xxv

Introduction: A National Project: Exploring Canadian Exceptionalism in Refugee Resettlement 3
Margaret Walton-Roberts, Luisa Veronis, and Leah K. Hamilton

PART ONE PERSPECTIVES OF SYRIAN REFUGEES

PART 1A SYRIAN REFUGEES’ EXPERIENCES WITH RESETTLEMENT, RECEPTION, AND INTEGRATION

1 The Right Information at the Right Time: Optimizing the Provision of Information to Facilitate the Settlement and Integration of Refugees in Canada 43
Victoria M. Esses, Leah K. Hamilton, Mohammed El Hazzouri, Alina Sutter, Bailey McCafferty, and Ajit Pyati

2 The Alberta Syrian Refugee Project: Understanding Trauma and Resilience in Refugee Resettlement 65
Julie Drolet, Gayatri Moorthi, Lisa Elford, Amanda Weightman, Dania El Chaar, Esra Al Saadi, Careen Khoury, and Erin Smith

3 Health Needs and Service Use of Newly Arrived Syrian Refugees 85
Andrew Tuck, Anna Oda, Michaela Hynie, Caroline Bennett-AbuAyyash, Brenda Roche, Branka Agic, and Kwame McKenzie

PART 1B EXPERIENCES OF SYRIAN REFUGEE CHILDREN, YOUTH, AND FAMILIES

4 The Honeymoon’s Over: Post-Settlement Issues and Challenges for Syrian Refugee Youth in Canada 105
Jan Stewart and Dania El Chaar

5 Stress in Refugee Resettlement: Syrian Mothers’ Strains and Buffers during Early Integration 127
Melissa A. Milkie, Neda Maghbouleh, and Ito Peng

6 Syrian Refugee Youths’ Use of Social Media as a Space for Communicating Social Support during Resettlement 151
Rukhsana Ahmed, Luisa Veronis, and Idris Alghazali

PART TWO THE SYRIAN REFUGEE RESETTLEMENT CONTEXT

PART 2A CIVIL SOCIETY AND COMMUNITY PERSPECTIVES AND EXPERIENCES

7 Interrogating Canada’s Response to the Syrian Crisis: Analyzing the Observations of Post-Secondary Youth 175
James Baker and Leah K. Hamilton

8 Accommodating Government-Assisted Syrian Refugee Newcomers: The Experiences of Resettlement Assistance Program Providers 195
Damaris Rose and Alexandra G. Charette

9 Private Sponsorship of Syrian Refugees: Perspectives of Sponsors and Refugees in Quebec 218
Marie-Jeanne Blain, Lourdes Rodriguez del Barrio, Roxane Caron, Marie-Claire Rufagari, Myriam Richard, Yannick Boucher, and Caroline Lester

10 A Tale of Three Mid-Sized Cities: Syrian Refugee Resettlement and a Progressive Sense of Place 243
Margaret Walton-Roberts, Luisa Veronis, Blair Cullen, and Huyen Dam

PART 2B RECEPTION AND INTEGRATION IN SMALLER CITIES AND RURAL AREAS

11 Splits in the Neighbourhood? Negotiating Visibility in a Rural Reception Context 269
Christopher Kyriakides, Karen Anderson, Lubna Bajjali, and Arthur McLuhan

12 A Community Engaged in the Reception of Syrian Refugees: The Case of Moncton, New Brunswick 289
Chedly Belkhodja

13 Syrian Refugee Integration in Newfoundland and Labrador 311
Tony Fang, Halina Sapeha, Kerri Claire Neil, and Opeyemi Jaunty-Aidamenbor

Conclusion: Outcomes and Lessons from Canada’s Experience with the Syrian Refugee Resettlement Initiative 331

Luisa Veronis, Leah K. Hamilton, and Margaret Walton-Roberts

Contributors 345
Index 361