Syrians’ lives improve, but work still hard to find
Two years after their arrival, government-assisted refugees (GARS) from Syria are showing significant improvements with English, are more likely to find employment and are making friends, says a report released today by the Immigrant Services Society of B.C.
The ISS study, conducted by phone in Arabic, followed 241 adult Syrian GARS and looked at employment, income, health, housing, language and education to get a sense of how they were doing.
“We’re trying to alert the public to how well Syrians are integrating,” said Chris Friesen, director of settlement services at the ISS. “This study really shows the determination, the perseverance and the gratitude that Canada stepped up to help, and there is such a feeling of wanting to give back and to contribute. There is a determination to be a good Canadian, and they want that opportunity as quickly as they can.”
Seventy per cent of respondents directly thanked the Canadian people and government, and expressed gratitude for all the support they have received, and 96 per cent are glad they came to Canada.
While finding employment continues to be a challenge, and respondents expressed concern about a lack of employment services and supports, employment has more than doubled among respondents over last year. Whereas last year only 17 per cent were working full- or part-time, this year 27 per cent of respondents are working full-time and 13 per cent are working part-time — and 34 per cent are working in a job similar to what they did before coming to Canada.
Although the survey didn’t track the number of GARS who are selfemployed, Friesen said anecdotal evidence and research from an ongoing study shows an emerging trend of entrepreneurship, in part because of the difficulty of finding employment. (This trend is also identified in a February draft report compiled by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada obtained by Postmedia News that states that “refugees are more likely to be primarily self-employed” than their Canadian counterparts, in part because they’re “pushed” into entrepreneurship when they can’t find jobs.)
Hasan Al Sheblak, a Syrian GAR and father of three who participated in the ISS survey, exemplifies this trend. Sheblak started his own tiling and contracting business just six months after arriving in Canada when it became clear he wouldn’t be able to find employment. Sheblak now employs four to six Syrians, depending on how busy he is.
“I am very, very happy here in Canada. I like the people, the government, everything. It’s now my country,” he said.
Eighty-seven per cent of respondents to the ISS survey reported improvement in English-language skills, but challenges remain.
Only 69 per cent reported being able to access or attend Language Instruction for Newcomers Classes (LINC), a drop from Year 1 when 76 per cent were able to attend classes.
Barriers to accessing the free LINC classes include work and education commitments, lack of transportation, illness and shortage of child care. “We need to explore innovation around home-based language learning for women that are home with children, or is there a way to use technology to help with the English language?” Friesen said.
While open-ended questions revealed the quality of housing is poor or inadequate, more than 69 per cent of refugees continue to live in the same housing they moved into after leaving the temporary hotels they were housed in on arrival, and 24 per cent have been relocated to B.C. Housing.
In the area of health and wellbeing, close to three quarters of respondents reported their families to be happy or very happy. Ninetyseven per cent of respondents reported their kids are faring from good to excellent in school, but many are stressed about family members left behind. Thirty-four per cent are still supporting family and friends left behind.
Of concern, noted Friesen, is that 11 per cent of respondents reported their family was depressed and 62 per cent of those indicated the emotional health of their family had worsened in the last year: “There is a sub-section of respondents who are worsening because they have untreated trauma, or are survivors of torture, violence and sexual assault.” Friesen recommends well-funded trauma support for resettled refugees modelled on Australia’s Programme of Assistance for Survivors of Torture and Trauma.