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Syrian Refugee Resettlement
In Canada
R R S C - P R 9
Brenna Foley, Pablo Bose, & Lucas Grigri
August 8, 2018
Introduction
As the world confronts an unprecedented forced migration crisis with over 65 million individuals displaced or seeking
asylum (UNHCR, 2018), one of the most recent and well-known cases is Syria. Not only has the Syrian civil war
produced a large number of forced migrants, the prospect of resettlement in third countries has resulted in a serious
backlash against refugees in many parts of the world. This can be attributed to a number of factors – rising
radicalization and terrorist attacks worldwide, increasing support for right wing political movements, xenophobia and
Islamophobia in western countries, and various kinds of instability across the global system. While in many Western
countries refugee resettlement and the acceptance of Syrian refugees has become controversial – and has often
resulted in a narrowing of or ban on admissions – in Canada, the opposite is true.
The Canadian government committed to accepting 25,000 refugees in 2015 (Citizenship Canada, 2017) and having
quickly reached that goal has gone on to accept a total of 54,560 Syrian refugees (Citizenship Canada, 2018). This
report explores the parameters of this program to date, focusing on Syrian refugee resettlement in Canada over the
past two years. Despite having a much smaller population and economy than the US, Canada has accepted
significantly more Syrian refugees both per capita and nominally than its southern neighbor. What is the reason
behind this dynamic? In this report we explore the motivation behind Canada’s commitment to Syrian resettlement,
the numbers and breakdown of Syrian refugees accepted, and its preliminary outcomes.
Since 2011, roughly 5.6 million people have fled Syria
due to the ongoing civil war devastating the country, with
an additional 6.6 million Syrians internally displaced
(UNHCR, 2018). The large majority of those displaced
are now residing in neighboring countries, primarily
Turkey, Lebanon, and Jordan. Only about 2.5% of Syrian
refugees have been resettled to third countries between
2014 and 2018. Despite the number of registered
refugees rising from 4.8 million at the end of 2016 to 5.6
million today, there was a 52% decrease in third country
resettlement from 2016 to 2017 (UNHCR, 2018).
Turkey
Iraq
Jordan
Syria
World's Current Largest
Displaced Population
Map of Syria and NeighboringCountries
Reference
Map
Africa
Europe
Lebanon
Israel
Palestine
Context of Displacement
Canada’s history of refugee resettlement in the modern era officially began in 1969, when Canada acceded to the
United Nation’s 1951 Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees and the 1967 Protocol. In 1968, the
Government of Canada developed a determination process for overseas officers to approve refugees for
resettlement. The Immigration Act of 1976 defined refugees as a special class of immigrants and fully recognized the
definition of a Convention refugee (Government of Canada, 2017). This act created much of Canada’s refugee
resettlement landscape that still exists today. However, due to its increasing complexity with thirty amendments, it
was replaced in 2002 by Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (IRPA) (ibid). The Private Sponsorship of Refugees
Program was created in 1978 as part of the 1976 Immigration Act. This original model was designed to allow
refugees more individual care, increase Canada’s resettlement capacity and further the public acceptance and
understanding of refugees. However, in 2011, Citizenship and Immigration Canada (now Immigration, Refugee and
Citizenship Canada) amended the IRPA to impose a cap on privately sponsored refugee (PSR) applications and limit
the origin countries of sponsored refugees (Voegeli, 2014). This amendment has since shifted the nature of the
private sponsorship program by limiting the diversity inherent in the original program (ibid).
In1989, the Immigration Act was amended to create a new refugee determination system and the Immigration and
Refugee Board, part of Citizenship and Immigration Canada (Canadian Council for Refugees, 2017). Like other third
country resettlement sites within the global refugee regime, Canadian acceptance rates have fluctuated over time
largely in response to domestic and geopolitical interests (Ashutosh and Mountz, 2012; Reynolds and Hyndman,
2014).
The reflection of political priorities in Canadian refugee acceptance rates is not unusual and indeed parallels the
policies of most other nation-states. The progressive (some would say ongoing) denial of asylum or refugee status to
Syrians has often become a central theme in the political platforms of electoral candidates in the US and other
European countries. These platforms are part of a broader trend of rising anti-immigrant discourse in many Western
countries (Postelnicescu, 2016). Refugees and migrants have been a central issue in recent elections in Canada too. In
a departure from many other Western countries, however, it was the acceptance of Syrian refugees that was
associated with the electoral promises made by the governing Liberal Party of Canada in the 2015 federal election.
There was in fact significant popular support for this initiative, as evidenced by the high participation rate of the
general public in the private sponsorship program described below (CJPME, 2015).
Some of the official rationales given for Canada’s acceptance of such a large number of Syrian refugees include
altruism and the goal of increasing diversity within the receiving population (Trudeau, 2017). However, there appears
to also be a degree of self-interest behind the decision; a report from Vancouver City Savings Credit Union predicts,
for example, that the Syrian refugees resettled in Canada will produce economic value worth $563 million within 20
years (Vancity, 2015). The report indicates that refugees strengthen local economies and that the cost of services
provided for initial resettlement is recouped by the long-term economic production of refugees’ children (ibid). These
numbers suggest that while Canada may be driven by altruism, economic self-interest may also be a key element of
government strategy (ibid).
Canada’s current refugee system has two main programs: the Refugee and Humanitarian Resettlement Program and
the In-Canada Asylum Program. The Refugee and Humanitarian Resettlement Program has three sponsorship
programs that are approved for resettlement of refugees from outside of Canada. The In-Canada Asylum Program
serves those already within Canada seeking protection (Citizenship Canada, 2017).
Within these two programs, Canada categorizes incoming refugees into two classes. The first, the convention refugee
abroad class, includes those who are outside their home country and may not return to their countries of origin due
to persecution based on race, religion, political beliefs, nationality, or social identity (Citizenship Canada, 2017).
Convention refugees can be sponsored by any of Canada’s three programs. The country of asylum class includes
refugees who are outside their home country and have been affected by a war or conflict or are denied basic human
rights. Refugees of both classes must be referred by the UNHCR, a referral organization, or a private group (ibid).
The three sponsorship programs within the Refugee and Humanitarian Resettlement Program are the Government
Assisted Refugee (GAR) Program, the Blended Visa Office-Referred (BVOR) Program, and the Private Sponsorship of
Refugees (PSR) Program.
Background & Canada's Approach to Resettlement
1
Syrian Refugee Resettlement In Canada |
Government Assisted Refugee Program
The Government Assisted Refugee Program
resettles convention refugees. These refugees are
referred to IRCC visa officers by UNHCR or a foreign
government (Elgersma, 2015). Once these refugees
are selected, they undergo a series of medical,
security, and criminality screenings. If the individual is
deemed eligible to resettle, they will be prepared to
leave for Canada by the International Organization
for Migration (IOM) or another organization.
Depending on the country in which the refugee is
leaving from, he or she may attend a Canadian
Orientation Abroad pre-departure orientation
session, facilitated by the IOM. The IOM will also
accompany the individual to the airport for departure
(Citizenship and Immigration Canada, 2014).
Upon arrival in Canada, the individual will be met by
staff from a refugee service provider organization
(SPO). This staff will take the individual to a reception
house or hotel as temporary accommodation until
permanent housing can be found. The SPO will help
the refugee with day to day tasks, language classes,
and other training (ibid).
Government Assisted Refugees will receive funding
through IRCC’s Resettlement Assistance Program
(RAP) for twelve months after arrival. The refugee
will receive healthcare through Canada’s Interim
Federal Health Program (IFHP), a healthcare system
for refugees. This will provide basic, supplemental,
and prescription drug coverage (Elgersma, 2015).
Refugees who require additional support and a longer
settlement period are supported through the Joint
Assistance Sponsorship Program. These refugees may
be torture survivors, medically disabled, members of
a large family, or experiencing systematic
discrimination. Under this program, the government
fully funds the refugee but works with private
sponsors to provide additional settlement support
(ibid).
26,240
Syrian GARs
settled as of
5/31/2018
Total GARs
* Data provided by IRCC's monthly updates
Medical, security, and
criminality screening
1)
IOM or another
INGO prepare
refugees for
departure
2)
SPO meets refugees
at the airport, and
brings them to
temporary housing
3)
IRCC's RAP provides
assistance for 12
months. Healthcare
through IFHP
4)
GARResettlement Process
2
Syrian Refugee Resettlement In Canada |
48.1%
Total BVOR Refugees
* Data provided by IRCC's monthly updates
The Blended Visa
Office-Referred Program
The Blended Visa Office-Referred Program was
created in 2013 (Elgersma, 2015) as part of the 2012
federal budget proposal. This program was meant to
absorb 1,000 GAR resettlement spots in order to
maintain the amount of refugees settled each but
allowing for further involvement of the private sector
(Refugee Sponsorship Training Program, 2017).
Refugees accepted under this program have already
been screened and prepped and thus will arrive in
Canada within four months, much more quickly than
refugees in other programs.
The Blended Visa Office-Referred Program resettles
convention refugees referred to IRCC visa officers by
the UNHCR. The departure process for BVOR refugees
is the same as GARs (Citizenship and Immigration
Canada, 2014). Under the Blended Visa program, the
government provides the first six months of funding and
private sponsors then provide up to six months of
funding. Private sponsors additionally fund travel and
start-up costs and provide settlement support.
Refugees in the Blended Visa program receive
healthcare through the IFHP, with basic, supplemental
and prescription drug coverage (Elgersma, 2015).
4,830
SYRIAN BVOR REFUGEES
SETTLED AS OF 5/31/2018*
23,495
Syrian PSRs
resettled as of
5/31/2018
Private Sponsorship of
Refugees Program
The Private Sponsorship of Refugees Program was created in 1978 and is
unique to Canada. It allows groups of five or more citizens, sponsorship
agreement holders, constituent groups, community sponsors, or co-sponsors
to privately fund a refugee for up to a year (Citizenship Canada, 2017). The
following are the program’s parameters for sponsorship groups:
Sponsorship Agreement Holders (SAH): incorporated organizations that
have been approved as an SAH
Constituent Groups (CG): part of or guided by a SAH
Groups of 5 (G5): five or more individuals, with approved financial
capabilities
Community Sponsor (CS): an organization able to offer financial support
Co-sponsor: an individual interested in helping a SAH, CG, or CS in
sponsoring refugees (Citizenship Canada, 2017)
Refugees are referred to IRCC visa officers by private sponsors, but must provide documentation from the UNHCR
or a foreign government that the individual has been registered as a refugee (Elgersma, 2015). The departure
process is the same as for GARs and Blended Visa refugees. Upon arrival in Canada, the private sponsors will provide
housing, clothing, food, furniture, employment search assistance, education enrollment, transportation, and
emotional support for twelve months (Citizenship and Immigration Canada, 2014). In 2017, the cost to settle one
refugee was estimated to be around $13,500 between start-up costs (furniture, necessary items, food staples,
clothing, first month’s rent, etc.) and a year of financial support (Refugee Sponsorship Training Program, 2017).
3
Syrian Refugee Resettlement In Canada |
* Data provided by IRCC's monthly updates
8.9%
Numbers and Mechanisms
As of May 31, 2018, Canada has accepted and resettled 54,560 Syrian refugees.
26%
are under the age of 6
24%
are under the age of 12
According ISS of British Columbia, of the approximate
3,725 Syrian refugees placed in the province (2017):
11%
are between the ages of
13 and 18
British Columbia
Government Assisted Refugees
Blended-Visa Office Refferred Refugees
Privately Sponsored Refugees
Total
26,240
4,830
23,495
54,560
Syrian Refugees Resettled, Breakdown by Program *
*Data provided by IRCC monthly updates, as of May 31, 2018.
Syrian Refugees Admitted
by Each Program
Syrian Refugees Compared
to All Groups
26,240
23,495
4,830
104,040
54,560
(IRCC, 2018)
(IRCC, 2018)
Other Canadian Provinces
4
Syrian Refugee Resettlement In Canada |
Syrian Refugees (34.4%)
Total Admissions 2015-2018 (65.6%)
PSRs (43.06%)
BVORs (8.85%)
GARs (48.09%)
Selection of Refugees
IRCC
Regional Service Providers
Local Immigration Partnership Committees
Stakeholders Partner Agencies Local Service Providers Employers
5
Syrian Refugee Resettlement In Canada |
The Canadian government works in conjunction with the UNHCR to select eligible refugees. The UNHCR uses
Refugee Status Determination (RSD) to determine the status of a displaced person as a refugee. While every UNHCR
office must follow the standards set out in the Procedural Standards for RSD under UNHCR’s Mandate, published in
2005, each UNHCR office is required to ensure the quality of their services depending on the number of clients
served (UNHCR, 2005). The Mandate addresses every aspect of the determination process. In this process, asylum
seekers and refugees will approach the UNHCR office and undergo a reception process to assess their needs, refer
them to the right procedure, and inform them of their rights. After their reception, the individual is then registered
with the UNHCR (ibid). This registration provides the UNHCR with the information necessary to determine the
individual’s status. The individual must also fill out the RSD Application Form. The registration is followed by an RSD
interview, during which the individual may choose to have legal representation present. The UNHCR will then give
the individual a date by which the RSD decision will be made (ibid).
For Canada to accept refugees referred by the UNHCR, the refugee needs to show the ability to economically and
socially integrate within three to five years. Canada will not accept refugees that are coming directly from a country
in which they would be safe. Canada will also not accept refugees that have been previously rejected by Canada, or
refugees that have been accepted by another country (Government of Canada, 2011). Once the refugee has been
referred, his or her application will be reviewed by an overseas Canadian visa officer. The applicant will undergo
medical, security, and criminality screenings. If he or she does not successfully complete these screenings, he or she
will not be selected for resettlement (Citizenship and Immigration Canada, 2014).
Canada prioritizes families, children, women at risk, and people considered to be sexual minorities. These refugees
will then go to a Canadian office to receive a medical exam and security check and supply background information
(Young, 2015). Syrian refugees are flown to Canada at the expense of the Canadian government, a support not
offered to other refugees. After several more medical and security screenings, privately sponsored refugees are sent
to their host community while federally funded refugees are matched with communities based on available
necessary services (ibid).
The IRCC works individually with service providers to determine both funding amounts and which Syrian refugees to
send to a given community. The service providers in a region work together through Local Immigration Partnership
(LIP) Committees to fill gaps in provided services (ISS of BC, 2017). These committees are made up of stakeholders,
partner agencies, service providers, and employers. Though these efforts have helped, there continues to be lack of
communication between local providers due to competition for IRCC funding (ibid).
Given the sudden influx of Syrian refugees to destination communities, service providers have been facing a number
of challenges, among them a lack of housing. In cities like Vancouver, where housing is already limited, it can be
challenging to find permanent housing for large Syrian families of six or more (ibid). This has led to service providers
like ISS of BC to begin regionalization, a process that allows a major service provider to subcontract smaller agencies
in order to resettle refugees outside of major destination communities. However, the farther refugees settle from
major cities and the smaller the community in which they settle, the less services provided (ibid).
Refugee Services Breakdown
Preliminary Outcomes
01
Employment
As of December 2016, Syrian refugees surveyed by Immigration, Citizenship
and Refugee Canada reported fairly low employment rates, especially
among government sponsored refugees. 90.3% of Syrian GARs and 47.2% of
Syrian PSRs were not working at the time of the survey (Evaluation Division
of the IRCC, 19). The majority of those working were employed in Sales and
Services, as cashiers and kitchen helpers in grocery stores or restaurants
(ibid). Others had found jobs in Trades and Transport, as construction
workers, carpenters and the like (ibid, 20). Syrian GARs and PSRs have both
reported not being sufficiently informed about their rights as workers (ibid,
18).
02
Language
82% of Syrian GARs reported language to be their biggest barrier to employment (ibid, 20). Of incoming Syrian
GARs, 83.2% reported no knowledge of either English or French (ibid, 16). Employment services require CLB 2 in
either English or French, but given the large majority of Syrian GARs without knowledge of an official language,
many are not referred to employment services (ibid, 19).
While 90.8% of Syrian GARs are referred to language assessments (ibid, 17), they
report that waiting lines for classes and lack of support are a barrier to language
classes. Given the average size of Syrian refugee families, the lack of childcare
provided by RAP means that many Syrians are unable to fully engage in language
classes. 23.1% of Syrian GARs reported lack of childcare as a reason for not taking a
language class (ibid, 18).
As mentioned above, 83.2% of Syrian GARs have no knowledge of official Canadian
languages, versus 19% of Syrian PSRs. Thus, Syrian GARs have reported language
to be their biggest challenge in integrating, whereas Syrian PSRs have reported
employment to be their biggest challenge (ibid, 16).
Privately sponsored Syrian refugees have relatively high employment rates. 52.8% of Syrian PSRs were working at
the time of the survey (ibid). 59.2% of those not working were at the time actively looking for employment, but also
reported language to be the biggest barrier to employment (ibid, 20).
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
Classes full Childcare Don't need Don't want Busy with .. Busy work.. Classes he.. Inconvenie..
Classes
were full
Lack of
Childcare
Do not
need them
Do not want
them
Busy with other
classes
Busy with
work
Class located
too far away
Inconvenient
times
GARs
PSRs
Reasons Syrian Refugees are not Taking Language Classes
6
Syrian Refugee Resettlement In Canada |
Percent of Respondents
(Evaluation Division of the IRCC, 2016)
Preliminary Outcomes
03
Financial
Assistance
Syrian refugees overwhelming reported that the twelve months of financial
support was insufficient. Language and medical barriers meant that many
Syrian GARs were unable to find employment during the first twelve months
(ibid, 15).
04
Social &
Cultural
Integration
place on the welfare system, the overall amount of people on welfare would only grow by 2.8 percent, even if
every Syrian refugee in Canada began receiving welfare (ibid). Historically, 93% of government sponsored
refugees have gone on after the first year to receive social assistance for a least month. However, that number
decreases to 34% after ten years. Only 25% of privately sponsored refugees used social assistance after the first
twelve months (Evaluation Division of the IRCC, 26).
Most Syrian refugees see their integration into Canadian culture as
successful. Half of Syrian GARs and 39.9% of Syrian PSRs reported being
“very happy” in their new country, and 72.2% of Syrian GARs and 62.7% of
Syrian PSRs felt a sense of belonging in Canada (ibid, 23). The majority of
Syrian refugees feel comfortable with the daily tasks required for life in
Canada, such as using transportation, finding a doctor, and enrolling in
school. However, the rates at which they feel comfortable with these tasks
are still lower than the rates of other refugee groups (ibid, 22).
For their first year in Canada, Syrian refugees are supported by either
federal or private funds. Many refugees are reaching or have reached what is
known as the 13th month, when this assistance is no longer provided. The
federal government has worked with local organizations to make the
transition as smooth as possible (Panesar, 2017). Many refugees, between
50 to 90 percent, will switch from the 12-month RAP support plan to public
welfare within the 13thmonth (ibid). Despite fears of the burden this would
05
Quality of
Services
Despite Canada’s extensive service provider network, the sudden influx of
so many Syrian refugees means that the service provider organizations are
unable to provide the usual quality of services (ibid, 9). Syrian PSRs were
reported as receiving more information than GARs on how to file taxes, buy
necessities, and find a doctor. Regardless, 74.9% of Syrian PSRs and 63.6%
of GARs reported that their needs were met very soon after arriving (ibid,
11). However, the sheer number of Syrians entering Canada in a relatively
small period of time has presented several challenges.
Dental hygiene, for example, one of the most pressing needs for Syrian refugees, is only partially covered under
the Interim Federal Health Program. Service providers are not able to fully support this need, among other
specific medical issues of arriving Syrians (ibid, 9). Service provider organizations are also not able to provide
childcare while adults are receiving RAP programming. For Syrian families with multiple children, this can make it
harder to attend RAP orientations. Children and teens are not given transportation allowances under RAP, adding
more cost to Syrian families. Housing allowances often do not fully cover the price of rent. SPOs have also
struggled with limited interpreters. As Syrian refugees continue to settle, SPOs predict having to overcome
challenges with youth programming, which is not fully provided through current RAP (ibid, 28). They also predict
that mental health will become a greater issue, but mental health services are currently lacking throughout
Canada (ibid).
7
Syrian Refugee Resettlement In Canada |
Conclusion
Despite its challenges, Canada’s private sponsorship program is an important model to consider as the world
faces new challenges in resettlement. The program not only promotes acceptance of refugees among citizens but
increases Canada’s resettlement capacity through innovative means. The social and community support refugees
receive from private sponsorship promotes integration and accelerates the transition to self-sufficiency. As the
preliminary studies on outcomes suggests, there are still many serious issues yet to be addressed, especially in
smaller communities without the range of immigrant services that can be found in metropolitan regions such as
Vancouver, Montreal and Toronto. Not being located in such areas or lacking adequate transportation, services or
a previously established refugee community could make the transition for Syrians to life as Canadians more
difficult.
GAR Map Feature Count
PSR Map Feature Count
BVOR Map Feature Count
8
Syrian Refugee Resettlement In Canada |
Maps of Syrian Resettlement in Canada
0-250: 24
250-850: 10
850-1,750: 9
1,750-3,315: 3
Government Sponsored
Syrian Refugees
Privately Sponsored
Syrian Refugees
Blended Visa Office-
Referred Syrian Refugees
0-30: 47
30-100: 6
100-250: 8
250-400: 3
400-1,100: 4
1,100-8,880: 3
0-20: 41
20-50: 26
50-150: 12
150-350: 3
350-965: 1
IRCC (2018). Canada - Admissions of Syrian Refugees by Province/Territory and Census Metropolitan Area (CMA) of Intended Destination and
Immigration Category [Excel]. Retrieved from: https://open.canada.ca/data/dataset/01c85d28-2a81-4295-9c06-4af792a7c209
IRCC (2018). Canada - Admissions of Syrian Refugees by Province/Territory and Census Metropolitan Area (CMA) of Intended Destination and
Immigration Category [Excel]. Retrieved from: https://open.canada.ca/data/dataset/01c85d28-2a81-4295-9c06-4af792a7c209
IRCC (2018). Canada - Admissions of Syrian Refugees by Province/Territory and Census Metropolitan Area (CMA) of Intended Destination and
Immigration Category [Excel]. Retrieved from: https://open.canada.ca/data/dataset/01c85d28-2a81-4295-9c06-4af792a7c209
Some have also criticized the Canadian government’s embrace of the private sponsorship model as potentially an
abdication of its international obligations (as well as moral duty) to protect recognized refugees, as well as to aid
in their effective integration into the broader society (Labman and Pearlman, 2018). Yet in the face of growing
constraints on resettlement programs and an increase in anti-migrant policies worldwide, Canada’s innovative
programs should be seen as holding significant promise. While only a small fraction of the world’s refugees are
hosted in wealthier developed countries (UNHCR, 2018), there is the potential for the global community as a
whole to do much more. In this vein, Canada’s response to the Syrian refugee crisis is one for other developed
countries to carefully examine and possibly emulate.
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Syrian Refugee Resettlement In Canada |
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Brenna Foley, Pablo Bose, & Lucas Grigri
The University of Vermont
Burlington, VT
August 8, 2018
This report and further information on the Refugee Resettlement in Small
Cities research project is available at:http://spatializingmigration.net/
The University
of Vermont
