Volunteer Research Entries

By Natalie Paruzel

[Version française à venir]

Claims delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic have caused refugee immobility in Canada

With the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, refugees in Canada are particularly vulnerable members of society as they are stuck, waiting for their claims to be processed. Refugee claimants have seen longer wait times in the processing of their documents during a pandemic that has had devastating effects on the whole country, but particularly those who cannot access basic social and health services.

Applications for refugee status can be done within Canada, often after a visa expires. The main obstacle currently is getting the application confirmed by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) who deems a claim eligible and proceeds to recommend it to the Immigration and Refugee Broad of Canada (IRB). Without this first step, refugee claimants do not have access to social assistance, health services, job opportunities and emergency housing (Smyth 2021). Arifa, a young Afghan woman, speaking to the CBC, claimed refugee status as her study permit expired, but the long wait times have left her worried that she might be forced to return to a country that is unsafe and where thousands more are currently fleeing (Smyth 2021). The lack of support for claimants already located in Canada leaves them in a precarious situation. On the one hand, claimants are settled in a safe country during their wait while, on the other, they cannot engage in society without proper documentation.

Unfortunately, the wait times are not unique to the IRCC. In October 2020, the IRB estimated that wait times for refugee claims can be up to 24 months with a backlog of over 80,000 claims to be processed (Canada 2021). The tribunal recognizes that COVID-19 has disrupted some of its operations (Canada 2021). This causes uncertainties in a time where claimants desperately need answers to adequately access health care and other services.

In response to COVID-19, the Canadian government offered an alternative path to citizenship for 90,000 essential workers and international graduates (Jones 2021). This, however, was criticized by the Migrant Rights Network for its strict application requirements, including required documents and sufficient results on language tests, and a limited number of spots (Jones 2021). Not to mention, undocumented people, refugee claimants and some international students are mostly excluded from its criteria (Jones 2021). The solution the Canadian government provided thus has limitations and excludes those already experiencing prolonged wait times.

These claimants are experiencing a form of immobility within Canada. Immobility, essentially, is the prevented movement which, as in the case of migration, is due to restrictive laws and systems in place (Bélanger and Silvey 2020, 3423). The exclusion they face due to delayed processing is referred to as forced immobility where their lives are put in a “limbo” state (Bélanger and Silvey 2020, 3427). As such, the restrictions claimants face, the waiting periods for their cases to be processed, and the inability to benefit from social and health services all result in the immobility of refugee claimants in Canada. Paired with growing uncertainties due to COVID-19, refugee claimants remain anxious over their well-being and status in Canada as.

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Winter is Coming: Housing search remains challenging for Afghan refugees in Ottawa

Searching for a permanent home can be challenging, but even more so for refugees with families and who are about to experience their first Canadian winter. In the aftermath that occurred in Afghanistan in August, the Canadian government continues to welcome Afghan refugees in a swift operation. While this effort is urgent and necessary, resources in Ottawa have not been sufficient to answer the call.

In Ottawa alone, 370 Afghan refugees have arrived since late August, but 300 still live in hotel rooms (Miller, 2021). Many refugees have large families and staying in a hotel room for months is not ideal during a pandemic. Because of the rushed departure, these refugees were not able to acquire all their required documentation before landing in Canada. This makes finding housing for large families, among other things like healthcare or school registration, all the more difficult (Miller, 2021).

Community support in Ottawa has been a vital factor in the integration of these refugees into their new daily lives. The Afghan Canadian Support Network was formed directly in response to this influx of Afghan refugees by Afghan youth in Ottawa to raise awareness of their needs and gather donations to distribute to families (Miller, 2021). Javed Sultani, a realtor in Ottawa who is originally from Afghanistan, has stepped up and helped refugees with finding housing, translation and even proposed solutions for landlords to accept families faster who do not currently have an income (Miller, 2021). The Community Connections Program of the Catholic Centre for Immigrants in Ottawa also provides opportunities for refugees to engage in community activities and build their support networks ("Community Connections", 2021). Finding housing, however, is the number one priority of the group (“Afghan Resettlement Project”, 2021).

But a new challenge is coming: winter. Coats, boots and winter accessories are expensive. And without access to federal payments due to a lack of documentation, donations will become a greater need. While the winter months are long and difficult, Afghan refugees settled in hotels must be prioritized by the federal government and provided with immediate assistance to make the season an easier transition.

While the challenge continues, it is important to highlight what refugees might expect in their integration journey. For government-assisted refugees, essential services such as temporary housing and emergency resources are provided upon arrival while financial aid is provided to those eligible and who hold proper documentation (Government of Canada, 2021). A large response in community organization around the influx of Afghan refugees in Ottawa, as mentioned, ease the personal stresses that may arise in the migration journey. Not to mention, refugees in Canada have the highest rate of achieving citizenship among all other immigration categories while refugee children earn higher education degrees at larger rates than Canadian- born children (“Refugees in Canada”, 2021).

For the 40,000 Afghan refugees that Canada has pledged to welcome in the next years, however, eligibility criteria will need to be clarified, resources will need to be strengthened and institutions prepared to welcome and integrate them in a dignified and smooth way. Allan Rock, the former Canadian Ambassador to the United Nations and the current Special Adviser at the World Refugee & Migration Council, argues that there is a gap between Canada’s aspiration to resettle more Afghan refugees and its tangible implementation (CBC News, 2021). He urges domestic political leaders to do more and to do better, as tensions rise and the situation in Afghanistan continues to disintegrate (CBC News, 2021).

Where federal support lacks or is delayed, a strong-willed community in Ottawa has risen and advocates for and with the refugees that need urgent assistance. This support is empathetic, immediate and empowering, elements that domestic leaders should consider utilizing. Winter is approaching and the need for assistance cannot wait.

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Ressources

“Afghan Resettlement Project." 2021. Catholic Centre for Immigrants (CCI). Accessed November 4, 2021. https://cciottawa.ca/afghan-resettlement-project/.

Bélanger, Danièle, and Rachel Silvey. 2020. “An Im/Mobility Turn: Power Geometries of Care and Migration.” Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies 46 (16): 3423–40. https://doi.org/10.1080/1369183X.2019.1592396.

Canada, Immigration and Refugee Board of. 2021. “Backlog and Wait Times (Refugee Claims and Appeals).” Last modified September 9, 2021. https://irb.gc.ca:443/en/transparency/pac-binder-nov-2020/Pages/pac8.aspx.

CBC News. 2021. "Former Parliamentarians, Humanitarian Groups Urge Ottawa to Step up on Afghan Resettlement Efforts." Accessed November 4, 2021 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F5DJSuwPzTk.

“Community Connections.” 2021. Catholic Centre for Immigrants (CCI). Accessed November 4, 2021. https://cciottawa.ca/programs-services/community-connections/.

Government of Canada; Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada. 2021. “What Kind of Support Do Government-Assisted Refugees Get?” Accessed November 4. 2021. https://www.cic.gc.ca/english/helpcentre/answer.asp?qnum=098&top=11.

Jones, Ryan Patrick. 2021. “Temporary Immigration Pathway for Essential Workers and Graduates Excludes Too Many, Critics Say | CBC News.” CBC. Last modified May 4, 2021. https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/migrant-rights-temporary-immigration-pathway-1.6013141.

Miller, Robyn. 2021. “Afghan Refugees in Need of Housing in Ottawa” CBC. Last modified November 2, 2021. https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/afghan-refugees-need-housing-in-ottawa-1.6230622.

“Refugees in Canada.” 2021. UNHCR Canada. Accessed November 4, 2021. https://www.unhcr.ca/in-canada/refugees-in-canada/.

Smyth, Georgie Smyth · CBC. 2021. “Pandemic Delays Leave Refugee Applicants in Canada in Legal Limbo | CBC News.” CBC. Last modified August 27, 2021. https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/delays-for-claimants-seeking-asylum-in-canada-1.6154707.