Community-based Refugee Research

Jennifer Hyndman

National RAP Conference

February 21, 2007

jhyndman@syr.edu

Collaborative Research on refugee settlement in YVR

• 1. Burmese refugees to Greater Vancouver, 1996-97

• 2. Kosovar refugees to locations outside YVR, BC, an experiment in regionalization, 2002-04

• 3. Acehnese refugees, ‘new and few’, all destined to Greater Vancouver, 2005-06.

• 4. Community-University Research Principles (CURPs) developed in 2003, applicable to projects in and beyond refugee research. – These collaborations also attempt to maximize

research capacity in the settlement sector.

CURPs promote • Equitable partnerships that 1) identify research

questions together; 2) design research and methods/approaches to be used (including stipends/salaries for community partners as well as grad students;

• Informed consent and confidentiality assurances including appropriate recognition and compensation to research participants for time spent; transportation and child care costs covered.

• Dissemination of findings to all research participants in a linguistically and culturally appropriate manner;

• Community-university research principles serve as guidelines (even incentives!) for collaborative research between academics and NGOs/SPOs/refugee serving sector;

• See CURPs @ www.gis.sfu.ca/CURA

1. Research issues with Burmese refugees: ISS and UBC

• Trust – given that the state is the perpetrator of much of the violence experienced by both groups (in Burma and Indonesia), trust becomes a prerequisite to doing meaningful research.

• Translation – trusting translators is not a given; concerns about disclosure were expressed.– This is a current issue in BC where Karen

refugees from Burma are landing; available local translators speak Burmese but not Karen, affecting trust but also comprehension and program effectiveness.

2. Regionalization policy & Kosovar refugees in British Columbia: ISS & SFU

• Kosovar refugees settled in BC in 1999; the sector identified a need for research of this practice;

• We compared settlement outcomes in Kelowna, Vernon, Abbotsford, Chilliwack, and Greater Vancouver;

• Regionalization: these government-assisted refugees were largely settled outside Lower Mainland which is unique in the BC context;

• Family groupings: extended family members were settled together

• Spatial mismatch of employment and skills: refugees had manufacturing background, but sent to cities where services in tourism and health prevailed.

3. New and Few: Acehnese refugees to Vancouver (ISS & SFU)

• Initiated by ISS but also backed by by federal and provincial policymakers, this research explored the efficacy of settling all 109 Acehnese to Canada, a new refugee group, to one metropolitan area;

• University role: to write a grant with consultation from the settlement sector on design, methods, questions, and then coordinate the research process:

• Approach: 1) household surveys (70/109); 2) focus groups (15 sessions with 5 groups); 3) a feedback and dissemination event (policymakers, NGOs, academics and refugees in attendance), and 4) publication of results– Total timeline: one year

Implications of IRPA: GAR profiles

• More than 7.9 million refugees worldwide have been in protracted situations, often camp settings, for five years or more;

• Long term time in camps shapes refugees’ health and literacy profiles, and conditions settlement needs (Burmese, Acehnese).

• Since the changes introduced by the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (IRPA, ISS states that 75% of the GARs it receives are ‘high needs’;

• As well as health and literacy, certain household formations (single parent; large families); and higher exposure to violence define ‘high needs’ clients.

Of 75 Acehnese refugees who arrived in Vancouver in June 2004,

– One client immediately hospitalized for TB; staff, other clients and interpreters all tested

– 5 others carried tuberculosis;– Several clients required dental treatment and

eyeglasses not covered by Interim Federal Health;– Two clients were cardiac patients, requiring ongoing

attention;– One client diabetic;– One client has cysts/boils over all of body, requiring

dermatological treatment; client suffers psych effects as well;

– Several clients have old wounds that need attention; one is missing four fingers on one hand.

– Many have PTSD and are getting pysch assessments and treatments;

– In 2004, more than 300 appointments were booked by ISS with Bridge Community Health Clinic, each requiring interpretation.

Housing Conditions

• Housing conditions in BC: ‘good’ or ‘acceptable’, but– 81% of those

surveyed are living with 4 or more people;

– 26% with 6 or more– Doubling to quintupling

up is apparent – Crowding is an issue

from the researchers’ standpoint, but not from that of the refugees

• These findings cannot be divorced from provincial social assistance standards ($510/month/single) and very high rents/low vacancy here in Vancouver;

• A fifth study I have not mentioned addresses immigrants ‘at risk’ of homelessness

Their main issues: ESL & work

• Our mind is focused on two things: language and earning money. But we cannot get jobs without English, they go hand in hand. And we can’t focus on our studies because we are worried about money. (male focus group participant)

• We are not yet part of [the Canadian] community because we do not speak the language. (male focus group participant)

Acehnese women and work• Very little English was spoken among the 7 female focus

group participants (initially 4 arrived in 2004; three more came through family reunification);

• none was in paid work; when asked what jobs they envisage themselves doing, they said,

• We would like office work, or work in a supermarket—not like in Indonesia where we go to the fields/farms;

• I like showing dresses, bridal dresses, the same job I had in Aceh;

• I want to be a babysitter—it is practical [she has a young child already];

• I want to be a nurse because I was a nurse;• Cashier is good for me. I have three kids and am

pregnant now, so maybe it will be good to stay home as the childcare costs will exceed the wages as a cashier.

• Cleaning, but if I can, find a better job and … speak better English.

• Supermarket worker.

Men at Work• We are ready to work. If you ask me if I am

ready to look for a job, I’m not ready to look for a job because I don’t know how. But I am ready to work.

• I have been living here for one year and they just put me in language school last month so how can I learn the language.

• Herein lies one policy conundrum: if it takes up to one year for GARs to access ELSA, then how can they meet the provincial requirements that they be ‘actively looking for work’ after their year of income assistance ends? – BC-Canada Agreement does not prioritize GAR ELSA

classes, even though federal income support for them is limited to one year (GARs remain federally funded).

RAP and IRPA changes: 2 solitudes

• Despite the major changes in refugee selection and priorities ushered in by IRPA (i.e. more high needs GARs to Canada), RAP has changed very little to accommodate this clientele;– From a 1-2 year policy window for settlement to a

3-5 year window post-IRPA;

• GARs promise to be one of the most difficult to settle groups in the next ten years because of their ‘high needs’ designation, including health status, literacy abilities, protracted refugee status, and less conventional household formations.

Responses to CIC’s policy of centralizing settlement in YVR

• When asked about the decision to relocate everyone to Vancouver, focus group participants were unanimous:– Well done, good idea, we are very happy. We

have become united in one community. We can share, we can have our community. And we prefer it this way.

– This was the best idea, best situation, because we are totally new.