Does Community Size Matter in the Settlement Process? The Experience of Syrian Refugees in Lethbridge in Alberta, Canada

Abstract

The article documents refugee experience in the first year of their settlement in a small city in Canada and then explores whether the size of the community matters in the settlement processes. This is based on an extensive study of Syrian refugee settlement experiences in one large Canadian city (Edmonton) and one small Canadian city (Lethbridge). The findings argue that contrary to existing scholarly literature, small municipalities such as Lethbridge were more creative, nimble, and efficient in settling Syrian newcomers. In small cities, however, lack of denominational and nondenominational organizations to complement government assistance, the onset of compassionate fatigue among the city dwellers, and limited retention of newcomers due to limited employment opportunity are real threats to the settlement process immediately after newcomers' arrival and in the long term. A more substantial role of municipal governments in the refugee resettlement process is recommended to offset the disproportionate burden settlement sector carries.

Receipt of adequate prenatal care for privately sponsored versus government-assisted refugees in Ontario, Canada: a population-based cohort study

“…Evidence suggests that private sponsors remain committed after 1 year of resettlement and can act as cultural brokers. 39 A single-centre study showed privately sponsored refugees were more likely to complete cervical screening than government-assisted refugees despite being offered this screening at the same rate. 40 This suggests that our findings on ultrasound use may not reflect access to care alone.…”

Procedures for claimant asylum within Canada, acceptance and rejection

“…Social isolation and discrimination are also issues that emerge for refugees, and immigrants more generally, in rural settings in Canada (Agrawal and Sangapala, 2021;Esses and Carter, 2019;Patel et al, 2019). Some research suggests that immigrants in general report feeling like outsiders in tight-knit communities, and racialized Canadians regardless of migration status are more likely to report experiences of discrimination outside of typical urban immigrant-receiving centres (Patel et al, 2019).…”

“…However, studies with Syrian refugees in their first few years of settlement often report that they felt welcomed in smaller communities (e.g., . It should be noted that, in the smallest communities, resettled refugees would have been privately sponsored, and the experience of being privately sponsored in a small community may differ from the experience of GARs (Agrawal and Sangapala, 2021;.…”

Refugees and religious institutions in a mid‐size Canadian city

“…They may initially settle in a small or mid-size city and then migrate to larger urban centres (Kaida et al, 2020). Smaller cities often lack the resources necessary to effectively settle refugees, and have limited affordable housing, employment opportunities, and services (Agrawal & Sangapala, 2020;Drolet & Robertson, 2011;Hamilton et al, 2020).…”

“…They may initially settle in a small or mid‐size city and then migrate to larger urban centres (Kaida et al, 2020). Smaller cities often lack the resources necessary to effectively settle refugees, and have limited affordable housing, employment opportunities, and services (Agrawal & Sangapala, 2020; Drolet & Robertson, 2011; Hamilton et al, 2020). In addition, refugees tend to lack access to adequate and affordable housing (Depner & Teixeira, 2012; Francis & Hiebert, 2014; Teixeira, 2009, 2011), which is already limited in small and mid‐size cities.…”