Migrant integration services and coping with the digital divide: challenges and opportunities of the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

In this research note, I reflect on the impacts of the shift to online service delivery for voluntary and community organisations. In particular, I report on initial findings from research being undertaken on migrant integration organisations in Quebec (Canada) and Scotland (UK). The research shows four key emerging themes: the complexities of the digital divide (including skills and access to information and communication technology, and the issue of the number of devices in a household to support multiple users); trust, communication and access to online services; the breaching of the public/private divide as practitioners provide digital services from their home; and the benefits and opportunities for digital service delivery. The research note concludes by reflecting on the long-term implications for voluntary and community sector services as they adapt to and recover from the pandemic and engage in long-term planning.

Healthcare (im)mobilities and the Covid-19 pandemic: Notes on returning to the field

“…For example, many vulnerable groups supplement unreliable data connections with access to the internet in other spaces, such as public libraries or other community sites with free Wi-Fi spots (Ramsetty and Adams, 2020; Burns et al 2022). The pandemic forced the closure of these spaces, while increasing the number of individuals in a household who needed to use digital devices and access to the internet thereby further compounding access problems (McMullin, 2021). A similar point was made in a recent report on access to primary care services for Traveller and Roma communities during the pandemic: these nomadic communities in the UK (another mobile population, albeit not necessarily cross-border) display stark differences from the general population in terms of access to the internet (38 per cent of Romany and Traveller people had a household internet connection compared with 86 per cent in the general population) and digital literacy (over 50 per cent do not feel confident using digital technology) (Mitchell and Garrett, 2021).…”

“…language classes, advice on housing and education, interview training, cultural activities) offered by these organizations whose clients are newly arrived migrants and refugees have an important in-person, face-to-face dimension. Moving those services online was not just logistically complex – technological mediation also affected the degree of service user engagement, shifting user comfort and trust in the process itself (McMullin, 2021). When viewed as part of the larger ecosystem of migrant support, healthcare, whether delivered remotely or in person, likewise remains dependent on trust and a willingness to engage in the first place.…”

Digital Divide: Barriers to Accessing Online Government Services in Canada

“…The COVID-19 pandemic caused an abrupt pivot toward the digital environment in Canada, including the shift in government and public services (Boin et al 2020). While before the pandemic, the transition to such digital services was slow and gradual, the pandemic rapidly accelerated the pace of the online services by various levels of the governments (McMullin 2021). Consequently, such a push intensified the barriers to egovernment services amongst the vulnerable segments of the population.…”

“…Other government services, such as mental health support and counselling, also transitioned to the online delivery mechanism, which posed access issues for the marginalized population who needed these services the most (UNDESA 2020). Thus, the pandemic extenuated the digital divide and accessibility of e-government services amongst vulnerable groups living in Canada (McMullin 2021). It is important to note that while the transition to the virtual environment was seamless for a section of society, for others, it posed a significant digital divide (Camillo and Longo 2020).…”

Navigating Newcomers’ Food Transitions in the COVID-19 Pandemic: A developmental evaluation of a community-based program

“…(A logic model for the adapted BDTW pilot program can be found in Appendix A, Figure II). Notably, digital adaptations to programs that many were able to leverage during the pandemic were di cult in this context, given the inequitable access to technology among newcomers (McMullin, 2021).…”