What We Do
We believe that the refugee experience is a continuum from the moment the refugee decides to leave their country until they become a Canadian citizen… We have developed an integrated model of services for all uprooted people, but offer shelter only to women and children.
The Integrated Model of Refugee Claimant Settlement
The Centre supports an individual’s journey from the time they make a claim for refugee protection at the border until they become a permanent resident of Canada. Recently, however, that support can start even before a claim is made: the Safe Third Country Agreement between the United States and Canada has introduced the necessity to help people by telephone, referring those inside the US to the appropriate services and NGOs (non-governmental organizations) there. Once inside Canada, people can use the services that make up the refugee settlement programme. The integrated model provides:
· Shelter for women and children: We provide affordable housing to newcomer women and their children, with approximately 5o people living in the Centre’s five houses each year. Most people stay for about 8 – 10 months, moving on after their status is determined at their hearing.
· Various women’s programmes. These have included ongoing groups for support and information-sharing, counselling and referrals to mental health services, as well as training in income generation, for example through small craft sales.
· Education, counselling and other support services, including interpretation and translation services, referral to legal assistance and other social services, employment training, as well as workshops on life in Canada, in order to assist people as they adjust to Canadian society.
This component involves inland activities related to case work at every step of the refugee determination process. From information-gathering delegations to other countries, to collaborations with local NGOs, all activities are geared toward greater access and equity.
Networking
Since our inception, we have realized that to be effective in our advocacy for refugee claimants, and to meet their wide variety of needs, it is necessary to build alliances with other organizations working on refugee issues. As such we are members of:
- Canadian Council of Refugees (CCR)
- Ontario Council of Agencies Serving Immigrants (OCASI)
- Coalition of Service Providers for Refugees Claimants (CSPRC)
We offer various training programmes to settlement workers and to refugee claimants themselves, notably the programme Refugee Help in Refugee Hands. Publications – such as the quarterly Refugee Update – are also part of our public presence.