Study On The Resettlement And Integration Of Syrian Refugees In Canada

Since the outbreak of the Syrian civil war in 2011,more than four million Syrian refugees have fled abroad,forming the largest refugee wave since World War II.Therefore,the Syrian refugee problem has become one of the focal points of concern and discussion in various countries around the world.As one of the major refugee-receiving countries in the world,Canada has received a large number of immigrants and refugees from different countries and regions in different historical periods.Syrian refugees are the largest number of refugees Canada has received since World War II.This thesis aims to analyze the uniqueness of Canada's resettlement and integration of Syrian refugees and the reasons behind this uniqueness are discussed.First,Canada is unique in its attitude towards and timing of accepting Syrian refugees.Canada's admission came at a time when other countries were considering measures to turn away Syrian refugees.There are three main reasons why Canada chose to accept them:(a)the photograph of the 3-year-old Syrian boy on the Turkish beach was the fuse;(b)Syrian refugees were a campaign issue in Canada's 2015 federal election;and(c)Canada's consistent position on the resettlement of refugees.Second,Canada is unique in its selection and security screening of Syrian refugees.In terms of refugee selection,all Syrian refugees accepted by Canada are families and vulnerablegroups registered in United Nations refugee camps.Single Syrian male refugees are not accepted.On top of that,every Syrian refugee arriving in Canada is subject to layers of security checks.Public safety concerns over the Paris attacks is the reason why Canada decided to adopt this rigorous set of procedures.Despite multiple screening mechanisms,Canada managed to accept a large number of Syrian refugees in a short period of time.Efficiency is underpinned by the coordinated efforts of many actors.Third,Canada has a unique privately sponsored refugee program.Over the past four decades,the program has continued to play an important role in accepting refugees,mainly because it can:(a)reduce the cost of government resettlement;(b)respond quickly to sudden crises;and(c)distribute the resettlement of refugees to less populated areas of Canada.This paper also discusses the impact of the resettlement and integration of Syrian refugees in Canada from the standpoints of economy,politics and social and cultural values.In the long run,resettling Syrian refugees and helping them integrate into Canadian society can contribute to Canada's development at all levels.