Master of Public Policy Capstone Project

Abstract

The purpose of this Capstone project is to reveal why Government Assisted Refugees in Canada have performed the worst following their one-year Resettlement Assistance Program term in terms of their ability to integrate into Canadian society. To examine the problem, this Capstone first explores Canada's historical and current resettlement practices. Then, to further understand where Canada stands in terms of global resettlement practices, this paper examines Sweden, New Zealand, Finland, Norway, the United States, and Germany's resettlement programs. Next, I designed a three-part survey to incorporate the first-hand experience of Government Assisted Refugees with families living in Calgary. The findings were that the rigidity of the program and limited income support hindered on their ability to take part in the integration-related activities available to them during their one-year Resettlement Assistance Program term. Together, the three sections of this paper enabled me to suggest that the Government of Canada increase the Resettlement Assistance Program length, increase the flexibility of the programs rules, adopt a case management strategy, and provide a subsidy to businesses that hire refugees.