Exploring the Settlement Trajectories of Refugee Newcomers in Southern Ontario

Qualitative;Refugee;Refugee health;resettlement

Bartel, Emmaadvisor:MacEachen, Ellen ; affiliation1:Faculty of Applied Health Sciences ; MacEachen, Ellen ;

University of Waterloo

关键词: resettlement;    Master Thesis;    Refugee;    Qualitative;    Refugee health;   

Others  :  https://uwspace.uwaterloo.ca/bitstream/10012/13668/1/Bartel_Emma.pdf

瑞士|英语

来源: UWSPACE Waterloo Institutional Repository

【 摘 要 】

Beginning life in a new country means adjusting to new systems of law, education, work, and health.Individuals who arrive in Canada as refugees face unique challenges during this process of re-settlingdue in part to the forced nature of their migration. Many organizations exist that seek to assist refugeenewcomers in Canada. Few studies have examined the success of these organizations, especiallyrefugee focused primary health clinics. In addition, few studies have examined health and settlementfrom the perspective of refugees themselves. This qualitative research study consisted of semistructuredinterviews with twenty-two participants including refugee newcomers, key informantsfrom the refugee resettlement sector, and representatives from refugee-focused health clinics acrossSouthern Ontario. Findings from this study highlight how many settlement trajectory factors appear tobe beyond any individual newcomer’s control. The program through which refugee newcomers enterCanada, whether they have certain assets including English language ability or personal finances, andwhether they gain access to high quality refugee resettlement supports are examples of such factorsthat were influential in determining resettlement success for the participants in this study. A newframework is proposed for refugee resettlement relevant in the Canadian context, with the goal ofenhancing the long-term success of refugee resettlement in Canada.