Canada celebrates refugees’ success through several initiatives encouraging them to lead successful lives. June 20 marks World Refugee Day and every year, there is a vast celebration of refugees around the globe.
World over, there is a need to understand the kind of initiatives that need to be taken to assist refugees. These are the people who had to flee from their homes because of severe circumstances.
There is a theme for World Refugee Day every year. The theme for 2023, according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), is “Hope away from home.” This is intended to encourage the integration of refugees into their new nations.
Canada’s immigration minister, Sean Fraser, stated that On World Refugee Day, the global community celebrates the resilience and courage of millions of refugees while expressing compassion and empathy for their predicament.” Refugees “play a critical part in creating and fortifying the communities. Canada has a proud history of resettling the world’s most vulnerable people.
World Refugee Day – Canada’s Significance in assisting refugees
With resettlement initiatives that provide a safe haven in Canada, the country “continues to be a leader on the global stage. Further, Sean Fraser claims that Canada is the top resettlement country in the world for the fourth year in a row.
Canada has long been a significant player in aiding refugees. It has been working to give them a strong start once they enter the nation. 17.2% of all new Canadian permanent residents in 2022 (73,330) were refugees and protected persons who resettled in Canada.
According to the 2021 census, 60,795 new Syrian refugees gained acceptance. They already reside in Canada between 2016 and 2021, making up roughly 30% of all new arrivals.
According to Minister Fraser, Canada “continues to be a leader on the global stage,” with resettlement programs that offer safe haven there. Furthermore, he asserts that for the fourth consecutive year, Canada is the world’s leading country for resettlement.
Canada has historically played a significant role in supporting refugees. The country attempted to provide them with a solid start once they arrived in the country. In 2022, refugees and protected individuals comprised 73,330, or 17.2%, of all new Canadian permanent residents.
Since 1980, according to the UNHCR, Canada has taken in 1,088,015 refugees. This figure comprises people who resettled from abroad or whose refugee status was recognized in Canada.
The nation is also moving closer to its objective of accepting 40,000 Afghan refugees after the Taliban overthrew the country’s government.
Special Immigration Measures program
Under the Special Immigration Measures Program for Afghans who aided the Government of Canada, IRCC aims to resettle 18,000 persons.
The program’s eligibility includes the following:
- Afghans who worked in a profession that had an “essential or persistent relationship with the Canadian government. This could be, but isn’t confined to, those interpreters with work experience at the Canadian Armed Forces or local employees. They might be currently working at the Embassy of Canada in Afghanistan. Also, they could have formerly worked here.
A path to PR for 5,000 extended family members of former Afghan interpreters is one of the initiatives for Afghans. The UNHCR’s or a foreign state’s special program to sponsor 3,000 Afghan refugees without refugee status is already at capacity.
The contribution of refugees in solidifying the Canadian labor force
IRCC is aware that many refugees bring valuable skills that can be leveraged to fill labor market gaps, boost the economy, and aid in the refugees’ integration and settlement in Canada.
The Economic Mobility Pilot Program allows employers access to a fresh pool of qualified people to fill employment openings while assisting skilled refugees in immigrating to Canada through current economic programs. Becoming a permanent resident of Canada is often simpler for those accepted into the program.
The program began in 2018 as a research study and was a plan to be expanded over the following few years. It aimed to include 2000 skilled individuals who could demonstrate that they were refugees. Also, they fit the requirements for programs like the following:
- Provincial Nominee Program
- Atlantic Immigration Program
- Rural and Northern Immigration Program
EMPP Streams
On June 12, IRCC introduced two new EMPP streams. The EMPP Federal Skills Job Offer Stream is the first. Under this stream, Canadian employers are permitted to employ qualified candidates to fill a variety of in-demand positions. This includes the following:
- Truck and delivery drivers
- Personal assistants
- Long-term care aides
- Software engineers
- Web designers
- Mechanical and electrical engineers
- Technicians
Another option is the EMPP Federal abilities without a Job Offer Stream, which takes into account the fact that certain applicants have abilities that are in such demand that they will be able to obtain employment after they arrive in Canada.
The EMPP collaborates with a number of immigration agencies, including Talent Beyond Boundaries, TalentLift, and Jumpstart Refugee Talent. These organizations can support refugees by assisting them in developing the skills that will help them succeed in Canada and by assisting IRCC in locating refugees with in-demand skill sets.
Other initiatives for refugees
Additionally, the current #WelcomingEconomy for Refugees initiative attempts to link companies with refugees ready to work and use their talents in Canada.
The Refugee Jobs Agenda Roundtable is the organization behind the effort. The Roundtable works all year round to improve refugees’ ability to find fulfilling employment.
In Canada, many firms make it a point to hire refugees. For instance, during the past four years, Starbucks Canada has hired 800 refugees. Other companies hiring refugees include Day & Ross, FedEx, HMS Host, IKEA Canada, Martinrea Automotive, McDonald’s, Metro, Shopify, Sodexo, Staples, and Wealthsimple.
World Refugee Day – are refugees able to establish themselves in Canada?
Refugees have a propensity to succeed over time in Canada. In the first year following arrival, the average salary for refugees is only $20,000. However, according to UNHCR data, most refugees reach middle-class status within five years of arriving.
In comparison to the public services and benefits they receive, refugees pay more in income taxes. Furthermore, compared to people who were born in Canada, refugees had a higher rate of entrepreneurship. According to UNHCR research, entrepreneurs make up 14.4% of refugees who have lived in Canada for between 10 and 30 years, compared to 12.3% of Canadian natives. All Canadians and new immigrants gain from the employment and enterprises that these refugees are producing.
Of all immigrants, refugees have the highest likelihood of becoming Canadian citizens. The same study discovered that 89% of refugees become citizens, compared to 84% of immigrants from the economic class and 80% from the family class.
