From Independence to dependence: Experiences of Syrian refugees

Abstract

This paper focuses on the qualitative findings from a mixed‐methods study of the educational and employment experiences of male and female Syrian refugees who settled in Regina, Canada. Canada admitted over 40,000 Syrian refugees who settled in 350 communities across Canada, including many smaller, non‐traditional refugee‐receiving centres. This influx necessitated the expeditious development of additional services as well as a re‐allocation of local resources. Drachman's (Social Work, 37, 68, 1992) three‐phase migration framework was employed to trace the experiences of these Syrian refugees through the pre‐migration, transit and resettlement phases. The findings demonstrated that the participants perceived a shift from independence to dependence on the government as they moved through each of the successive phases of migration. While participants had constructed identities as “hard workers” back home, they found that their experiences and credentials from back home were devalued and learning English was a prerequisite for employment.

Labour market integration of newcomers to Canada: The perspectives of newcomers in a smaller urban centre

“…Survey results show that many participants faced transportation challenges, with access to transportation and driver's licences ranked as extremely important by 57% and 47% of respondents, respectively. This finding is consistent with previous research that highlighted the role of transportation in facilitating employment opportunities for immigrants (Hanson et al, 2021;Kikulwe et al, 2017Kikulwe et al, , 2021.…”

“…Survey results show that many participants faced transportation challenges, with access to transportation and driver's licences ranked as extremely important by 57% and 47% of respondents, respectively. This finding is consistent with previous research that highlighted the role of transportation in facilitating employment opportunities for immigrants (Hanson et al, 2021; Kikulwe et al, 2017, 2021). In Canada, half a million immigrants live in areas with limited access to public transportation, which may explain why transportation is a significant barrier to employment for the participants (Allen et al, 2021).…”

“I Felt Like I Was a Puppet—He's the Master, and He's Playing With My Life”: Newcomer Women's Experiences of Intimate Partner Violence

“…Newcomer women may also encounter additional barriers to reporting abuse, seeking safety, and accessing services, which can lead to increased vulnerability to ongoing IPV (Ahmad et al, 2009;Alaggia et al, 2009;Aujla, 2013Aujla, , 2021Guruge et al, 2019;Rossiter et al, 2018;Tabibi et al, 2018;Tabibi & Baker, 2017). Newcomer women also face barriers to living, working, and participating in education and employment in Canada, including childcare, housing, and lack of recognition of their educational/professional credentials (Kikulwe et al, 2017;Tabibi & Baker, 2017). These barriers can increase the difficulty that they experience in ending relationships where IPV is taking place and subsequently living independently in Canada.…”

English-Language Proficiency Requirements for Migration to Canada, Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States, and the Implications for Language Testing Research

“…Studies from Canada show that higher levels of English-language proficiency are associated with higher-wages (Boyd & Cao, 2009), finding a job more easily (Kikulwe et al, 2021;Statistics Canada, 2005), and securing higher-skilled employment (Liu, 1996). However, Horner (2015) raised the question of whether higher level language proficiency is actually the key to social integration while Khan and McNamara (2017) pointed out that a new citizen could contribute fully to their new country without knowing the host language.…”