Canada is one of the world’s largest resettlement countries for refugees, with nearly 1 million people resettled in Canada since 1980. People who have fled their country of origin often have limited resources when they arrive in Canada, which is why it is important to offer them employment assistance services.
Labour market participation among refugees is generally lower than among the general population. Several factors explain this situation, such as the difficulty of having foreign diplomas and skills recognized, limited knowledge of the official languages, and recent arrival in the country. The evaluation of employment assistance programs specifically designed for refugees is necessary to ensure their effectiveness and, ultimately, to improve refugees’ integration into jobs that reflect their qualifications.
Based on a literature review of refugee employment support and 70 interviews with organizations and refugees, Garnier reviews the employability programs in the three study areas: Quebec (Canada), New South Wales (Australia) and the Brussels region (Belgium). She pays particular attention to programs for refugees aged 18 to 35.
The author first notes an issue concerning the availability of statistical data. The three countries studied lack age-specific data on employment rates and earnings, which makes it difficult to understand the distinct reality of young refugees.
By comparing the regulations of the three countries, Garnier then recalls the complexity of the relationships between the various service providers for refugees in a federal context. As Canada, Australia and Belgium are federal states, the responsibility for implementing and regulating employment support programs for refugees is shared between different levels of government and local community organizations, often subsidized by the federal government.
Garnier’s international comparison leads to three conclusions:
- The implementation of employment support programs for refugees is often presented in terms of partnership and complementarity. This reflects the division and specialization of services between different organizations, which requires the creation of partnerships to offer a comprehensive employment support service.
- Implementation is complicated by the constraints imposed on organizations by the public authorities that subsidize them, cumbersome accountability requirements, and the mandate to serve such a broad public. For example, some people cannot register for more than one employment support program at a time, which creates a competitive dynamic between organizations.
- The complexity of relationships between the different levels of government (federal, provincial/state, municipal) can pose a barrier to labour market participation, given a lack of coherence between the programs offered.
By being familiar with the issues specific to the implementation of employment support programs in the Canadian federal context, CDPs can better guide refugees towards the resource that corresponds to their needs and support them in the complex administrative processes.
Responses
I found this article very interesting!
I would have liked to dive into the discrimination that refugees may face when entering the Canadian labour market, as well as how these experiences can vary
Refugees may have profound differences in their employment pathway depending on the country they are from, their knowledge of the French or English language, education levels, networks and access to financial resources.
What stood out to me from this article was how it is common for a refugee to only access one program or support at a time.
I have seen this happen when a refugee wants to access two programs that are funded by one level of government (usually, provincial or federal). This typically means that they could only access one type of employment support service, when having access to two or more programs may help them increase their chances of finding employment.
I understand that this is generally due to restrictions due to funding reporting, but I have seen it be added as an unnecessary challenge for refugees.
To avoid this situation, I engage in an assessment with a client to establish which programs would be of the most benefit to them and how we can combine federal, provincial and municipal programs to ensure that the client’s needs are being met.
I look forward to reading the “Then and Now” by the United Nations Refugee Agency’s (UNHCR) stories!
Thanks for sharing this summary!