Achieving holistic care for refugees: The experiences of educators and other stakeholders in Surrey and Greater Vancouver, Canada

Abstract

In 2020, the global number of refugees reached record levels, pressuring asylum countries to determine more effective methods for facilitating integration. This article explores an array of stakeholder practices towards refugees in Surrey and Greater Vancouver, Canada. It is based on questionnaires and interviews that elicit the perceptions and struggles of 40 settlement workers, health and mental health professionals, Members of Parliament, educators, librarians, scholars and grassroots organisations, who work with refugees. The findings show that stakeholders often feel isolated, ‘working in silos’ and wasting time and money due to uncoordinated services and a lack of interagency communication. They feel it is also unreasonable to expect Government‐Assisted Refugees (GARs) to learn English and complete job training in preparation for independent living within 1 year of support. Both refugee adults and children suffer from high levels of trauma, often compounded by interrupted or no schooling. Since education is essential to refugee success, I argue that teachers play a role in filling the gap, often uniquely positioned to form ongoing, safe and trusting relationships with refugee students and their families. For many teachers, it is an ethos of care, compassion and social justice acquired in teacher education programmes that increases refugee resilience, sense of belonging and wellbeing. This article identifies what new collaborations between teachers and other stakeholders might accomplish, including communication back to government policymakers. Recommendations encompass initiating online registries of services and low‐cost housing in neighbourhoods where community schools and services are interlinked, possibly achieving holistic care for all refugees.

Procedures for claimant asylum within Canada, acceptance and rejection

“…As such there are relatively few unaccompanied minors who are refugees or asylum seekers. Most children and youth of refugee background are in Canada with at least one family member (Barber, 2021). Across its ten provinces and three territories there is great variation in the geography as well as the needs of the local population.…”

“…This can lead to teacher burnout as teachers of children and youth of refugee background typically spend more time with their students as they work to establish routines without the benefit of a shared language or interpreters other than Google Translate or perhaps a more proficient peer in order to form trusting relationships with their students and their families. Barber (2021) reports that teachers in her study understood the key role played by listening in supporting students which meant that teachers would spend significantly more time with students of refugee background, and, in many cases, with their parents as well when they needed help with processes that were new to them such as completing forms about their children or talking through how to support their children with homework or their behavior.…”

“…In several studies, (Stewart, 2011;Kovinthan, 2016;Gagné et al, 2018;Barber, 2021), a range of teacher responses are noted with some teachers of refugee students reacting with resentment and anger, often as a result of not understanding the reasons behind their students' behavior problems or withdrawal as well as the intense settlement needs of their families. Other teachers respond with a heightened level of care for their students and families while at the same time feeling frustrated at the politics of education and immigration that do not provide sufficient resources to truly support the settlement and integration of newcomers with refugee backgrounds.…”

Syrian Newcomer Students’ Feelings and Attitudes Regarding Their Education in Canada

“…The refugee experience also has adverse effects on children's education by causing interruptions or missed years of schooling (Barber, 2021;Ontario Ministry of Education, 2007). Displaced people who flee their homes for safety and make it to a refugee camp "are typically offered little or no educational opportunities" (Melton, 2013, p. 3) and children who are disabled or have special education needs are mostly affected by having limited school opportunities (Beltekin, 2016).…”

Employability of the Refugees/IDP and their Resettlement among Local Communities in East Africa

“…It has been noted that refugees/IDPs have difficulty entering the labor market [25,26] . Governments may limit employment to certain jobs, typically blue collar jobs.…”