Page 1 of 10

267

Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal – Vol.8, No.1

Publication Date: January 25, 2021

DOI:10.14738/assrj.81.9560.

Seo, B., & Lowney, K. (2021). Understanding Syrian Refugees’ Experience In Terms Of Settlement and Participation In Canadian Labour

Market: A Mixed Method Approach. Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal, 8 (1) 267- 276.

Understanding Syrian Refugees’ Experience In Terms Of Settlement

and Participation In Canadian Labour Market: A Mixed Method

Approach

Bosu Seo

Department of Economics

University of the Fraser Valley

Krystal Lowney

Department of Economics

University of the Fraser Valley

ABSTRACT

This paper explores Syrian refugees’ experience in terms of settlement

and participation in Canadian labour market. It discusses the findings

of research on labour market integration in Canada of racialized

immigrants and refugees, as well as the state of economic insecurity

among newcomers, to identify systemic patterns of discrimination and

policy implications. A mixed method approach with in-depth interview

and questionnaire surveys were used for an analysis. Long-term

benefit, second-generation success, and reliance on government

support were commonly observed. Language barrier, lack of host

country’s experience, and lack of transportation were cited as common

barriers to employment. This research confirms that there is no

uniform process for refugees entering into a host country. Canadian

government needs to create a structured program to be implemented

in each province and deliver the same process for every refugee

entering

Keywords: refugees, labour market, employment, settlement, language

barrier, Canadian experience

INTRODUCTION

Immigrants in Canada struggle when entering and participating in the labour market. This is

significant as Canada has the highest per-capita immigration rate in the world and immigration

plays a key role in Canadian culture (Statistics Canada, 2013). Immigrants to Canada enter under

different programs and categories, but in the context of refugees, Canada offers a safe asylum and

new opportunities for this type of immigrant. Government data shows that since November 4,

2015 more than 40,000 government or privately sponsored Syrian refugees have arrived in

Canada. The government has also committed to continuing resettlement of Syrian refugees this

year (2018). With this influx, we are observing challenges in refugee resettlement and integration.

Considering the many obstacles government sponsored refugees must overcome, it is realistic to

think it will take more than one year for them to resettle completely, which was what was

Page 2 of 10

268

Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal (ASSRJ) Vol.8, Issue 1, January-2021

originally anticipated. According to the Office of the Auditor General of Canada, it was expected to

take four to six weeks to find accommodations and one year of refugees having income support

from the federal government (2017).

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (2009) emphasizes employment as one of six

thematic indicators of resettlement and integration of refugees. Employment for refugees is often

measured as unskilled or semiskilled, generally from a low socioeconomic status perspective

(UNHCR, 2013). It is widely believed that immigrants admitted on compassionate grounds, such

as refugees, tend to perform poorly compared to immigrants selected with skills. Immigrants

admitted on compassionate grounds may also struggle in the Canadian labour market due to

language and cultural barriers (UNHCR, 2013). This pilot project asked the question: Do

discriminatory barriers in the labour market exist for refugees from the Arab countries, including

Syria?

PREVIOUS RESEARCH

Although research this far regarding the Syrian refugees has been limited, it has been indicated

that these Syrian refugees’ needs were higher than expected. Especially, the government

sponsored refugees who were a lot of times women and children, with research indicating they

have little to no formal education, making them the most vulnerable (Friscolanti, 2016). Though,

this was not discovered until they began arriving in Canada. In addition, the trauma they had just

endured, made it necessary for specialized attention and the time necessary to deal with those

issues, both physical and emotional (Government of Canada, 2017; Kantor, & Einhorn, 2016).

Therefore, when a country helps the most vulnerable, one needs to remember when attempting to

measure economic performance, that it was done as a humanitarian undertaking and not for that

of the economy. Dealing with the trauma, amidst learning new customs becomes a challenge. This

process of resettling can further depend on how they are welcomed and accepted into their host

country (Friscolanti, 2016).

How refugees are perceived greatly affects how they are accepted. If they are perceived as wanting

to maintain their culture in their host country, people are not as willing to provide assistance and

acceptance, but if they are perceived as willing to adopt and integrate into the culture of their host

country people are more willing to express acceptance and offer assistance, as well as making the

resettlement process a success (Yalcinkaya, Branscombe, Gebauer, Niedlich, & Hakim, 2018; Office

of The Auditor General of Canada, 2017). Furthermore, media plays a role in how refugees are

perceived. It has been suggested that it depends on the political leaning of a particular

organization, which will determine how refugees are portrayed. This notion could be seen during

the time of the 2015 election. Prior to the election the media focused on the conflict in Syria,

whereas after the election the focus changed to “citizenship and integration.” This was a reflection

of the two different prime ministers’ views. Due to the fact that many from the host country do not

have encounters with refugees themselves, they rely on the media for their information. It has

been shown that while immigrants are associated with improving the economy, refugees are

portrayed in a very negative light, being seen as a potential security risk and a cost to the economy

as they resettle (Wallace, 2018). Due to the nature of war and mere survival facing the Syrian

refugees, it needed to be dealt with in a swift manner, so processing the refugees as prima facie

allowed for quicker processing. However, this rapidity also added to the negative perception and

fear of it not being done efficiently (Government of Canada, 2017). Moreover, how refugees are

Page 3 of 10

Seo, B., & Lowney, K. (2021). Understanding Syrian Refugees’ Experience In Terms Of Settlement and Participation In Canadian Labour Market: A Mixed

Method Approach. Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal, 8 (1) 267- 276.

URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.14738/assrj.81.9560 269

perceived is also affected by the age of the refugee, with adults being seen as less flexible to

transform to the new culture, but children seen as more impressionable, (Yalcinkaya et. al, 2018)

which suggests in the long term the second generation will have more success integrating into the

culture and labour force.

Resettled refugees are considered permanent residents, allowing them full access to government

sponsored programs. Due to the permanent resident status they can access English classes as well

as training to move into the workforce. Since learning English is one of the main obstacles,

research indicates there are substantial wait times to be able to take these classes, which

translates to longer waits to find employment (Government of Canada, 2017; Grant, 2017). It has

been shown in the past, the benefits of having refugees work far outweigh the cost of the learning

curve. The benefits include becoming taxpayers themselves and contributing to the local economy,

by bringing more spending to local businesses as they move into areas, regardless of where the

money comes from, whether their own savings or financial aid. There is a positive outlook for the

future because when looking at refugees from other countries that have been here for many years

their unemployment rates are lower than those of Canadian born. (Grant, 2017; Schillings, 2018;

Economist, 2018).

In the beginning, there are barriers that exist such as social restrictions as they learn the language

and customs of the new country, as mentioned, moreover another barrier facing the Syrian

Refugees is that their credentials are not transferable, not being recognized by Canadian agencies.

Credentials for training from certificates, degrees and various licenses, additionally, many

refugees do not have proof of their experience. This is due to the circumstances in which they had

to flee, grabbing their certification or graduate degrees was not a possibility. Even if they do have

them getting them translated professionally is costly, too costly for them to afford. It has been

suggested that these numerous barriers make employment opportunities more limited (Schillings,

2018; Grant, 2017).

Some refugees say that they don’t feel like they belong until they have a job, therefore others

suggest let the refugees “be their own solution.” Many have the drive and initiative to want to

build a new life for themselves and their family. Several of the refugees want to show Canadians

their initiative and how hard working they are by giving back to Canada for rescuing them from a

war-torn country. Unfortunately, that is not always the case as a large majority, 50 to 90 percent,

as of 2017 will be transitioning to welfare in the province they are in. This however is not

considered unusual, as they are still learning the language, culture and skills. Encouragingly, it has

been shown when given these opportunities, refugees are creating new businesses and expanding

employment opportunities even for local residents (Friscolanti, 2016, Grant, 2017; Nadeem, 2018;

Arnold-Fernandez & Rawson, 2018).

What is more concerning, is how long they will rely on welfare. Looking back indicates that during

the second year many refugees still rely on welfare but by year five only 26% still needed

assistance, but these numbers were for privately sponsored refugees, with numbers in

government sponsored refugee’s numbers much higher at 41%. In a survey conducted in BC by

Immigrant Services Society of BC, the number of refugees relying on foodbanks weekly has

dropped, the full employment rate is up to 27% which is double from a year ago, and 87% report

improvements in the English language and 97% indicate that their children are doing well at