Notes
Future research / gaps identified:
1) Investigate the extent to which Canada has a one-size-fits-all model for PSR and how this impacts key differences between refugee’s home countries.
2) Examine the role of faith-based organizations in Canada’s PSR program and how to bolster grassroots support for sponsorship.
Integration timeline: not defined
Community organizations: n/a
Key findings:
1) Sponsors and refugees experienced a mix of both welcoming and unwelcoming attitudes in Lethbridge, where unwelcoming perspectives were commonly related to Islamophobia, terrorism, or the individual ‘deservingness’ of refugees.
2) The most significant drawback of resettlement in Lethbridge was the transit system, which was described as confusing, inefficient, and limiting.
3) Other drawbacks included the limited number of Arabic-language resources including jobs and services.
3) Benefits of resettlement in Lethbridge focused largely on the size and ability for networks to form including a multidisciplinary healthcare clinic and large multi-organizational sponsorship groups.
4) Several of the participants who were sponsors took it upon themselves to help shift community perceptions of refugees. Their 3 main strategies were: sharing positive stories that challenged negative perceptions of refugees, dissociating “their” refugees from broader discourses about migration, and appealing to shared beliefs including notions of “Canadian” or “Christian” values.
5) Refugee and sponsor relationships were described using metaphors to families, including both positive and negative family dynamics.
Key populations: refugees and sponsors in Lethbridge, AB
Key recommendations:
1) Increase the sustainability of the PSR program through addressing volunteer sustainability and maintaining support during times that Canadians may not perceive as ‘crisis’.
2) Debate how much autonomy should PSR program sponsors be given in choosing the refugees they sponsor, in relation to Canada’s aim to prioritize urgent and vulnerable cases.
