Syrian refugees face challenges in housing, English skills, report says

The settlement process is far from over for 2,090 Syrian refugees who settled in Edmonton after Canada committed to rapid resettlement efforts in November 2015.

A report to be presented at a community and public services committee meeting at city hall on Monday gives an update on the challenges still faced by Syrian refugees forging a new life in Edmonton.

Mohamed Huque, executive director of the Islamic Family and Social Services Association (IFSSA), said Thursday the expectation that a refugee can become a fully engaged member of society within a year of arriving simply isn’t realistic.

“It’s expected by some people that after that first year that they are going to be self sufficient, that’s absolutely not practical in any way,” said Huque.

“Most settlement agencies will tell you that the settlement process really should last three to five years from the point of entry to the point where they are able to be full functioning, contributing members of society.”

Alice Colak, vice-president of Immigration and Settlement Service with Catholic Social Services, said “settlement is a complex and a long-term process. At any given time they are going to be facing different challenges.”

As private sponsorship agreements run out, Huque said the focus now needs to shift to ensuring ongoing government support — such as programs offered through Alberta Works — is sufficient.

“The challenges are on the ground, service delivery, that’s where we start to realize some of the shortages,” Huque said.

Affordability continues to be a primary barrier for resettlement, as identified in the Update on Refugees from Syria report, because it can take at least two or three years before a refugee is able to find meaningful employment and financial security.

Some of the barriers to gaining employment include challenges in acquiring marketable skills or having previous credentials recognized in Canada.

But for many the biggest barrier to employment — and engaging with the community at large — continues to be a lack of English language proficiency.

Huque said the issue is most acute among government-sponsored refugees as they specifically targeted those most vulnerable, meaning many arrived in Canada with no English language ability and some with no literacy skills whatsoever.

Because of the large number of refugees arriving within a short span of time, language programs have long wait lists.

“It is so critical, because everything else beyond that — employment and employability and housing — those things are all dependent on whether you are able to meet the basic language requirements,” Huque said.

Finding suitable affordable housing has also been a challenge for Syrian refugees, since Colak said many Syrian families are larger than the typical Canadian family.

“There’s not that many places in Edmonton that can accommodate families of seven or more,” said Colak.

Huque said the Capital Region Housing Corporation — the largest provider of social and affordable housing in the Edmonton area — already has long wait lists and, even then, there are few options available to accommodate large or multi-generational families.

To answer this problem, Huque said IFSSA is developing a multistorey housing facility specifically designed for larger families.

Despite these challenges, Colak said the Syrian refugees are eager to establish themselves, but the process of settlement can’t be rushed.

“It’s a tough process, it’s tough to learn a new language, it’s tough to find your way in society, but ultimately we look at the success of many refugees and we know that the resilient are successful,” Colak said.

“They are anxious to become self sufficient, they are anxious to take care of themselves and their families as soon as possible, so I think there is an underlying resiliency and hope as well. Combined between the two, refugees will do well if they take time.”