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“Is this called home?” Resettlement of refugee children and youth in Canada
26. April 2018, 13:00 Uhr
GESIS, Mannheim, B2,8
Lori Wilkinson
Abstract
Wars, internal conflicts, failing economies, environmental degradation and despotic regimes have led to the displacement of over 65 million people worldwide and almost half of them are under the age of 18. Since most will arrive to their settlement country prior to their 29th birthday, these newcomers can expect to make considerable contributions to their host society‘s culture, way of life, and economy. Although arriving in much smaller numbers than the European Union, Canada has welcomed record numbers of refugees and asylum seekers in each of the past two years and expects even more in the next five years. Refugees who have arrived in the past ten years make up nearly 1% of the total Canadian population today so it is important for us to consider the extent to which they have successfully resettled. The objective of this presentation is to examine some of the initial aspects of resettlement among refugee children and youth in Canada to deal with a major gap in research. Much of the academic focus on refugees has centred on mental health and language acquisition issues to the exclusion of other aspects related to successful integration. Using results from a number of recent surveys of refugees in Canada, this presentation investigates some of the integration outcomes of refugee children and youth including: housing, employment and education. Policy implications inform some of the conclusions of this presentation.
About the Speaker
Lori Wilkinson is a professor of Sociology at the University of Manitoba and Director of Immigration Research West. Her research focuses on studies of racism, settlement, and integration among refugees and immigrants. Her current work examines the resettlement experiences of refugees, the health and wellbeing of refugee children and their families, and the experiences of Indigenous students in post-secondary education. She is the co-author of two books, numerous journal articles and government reports regarding various aspects related to integration and resettlement among immigrants and refugees. In 2017, she was awarded the Teaching Excellence Award from the University of Manitoba and the Fellow of the Year for St John’s College in recognition of her teaching and research work.