Road to Resettlement: An Interactive Exhibit on a Refugee’s Road to a Safe Home
Renée Wright, Investigative Journalist
November 6, 2021
Down by the scenic Kingston waterfront, there is a museum often overlooked: the Pump House. Once serving as Kingston's first waterworks, operating from 1851 to 1952, it is now an education center and community museum. Currently, until November 20, 2021, there is an exhibit being housed entitled Refugee Canada. This exhibit was created by the Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21. It looks at the refugee experience both before arriving in Canada and the experience of being a newcomer. The exhibition is said to "provide the context for Canada’s place in the global refugee crisis and bring to light the challenges faced by refugees in Canada." The exhibit provides an educational and interactive experience to learn about the experiences refugees face and Canada's role in the refugee crisis. What follows is some of the information that the exhibit provides to its patrons.
The refugee crisis is one of great magnitude as we are currently witnessing the highest number of displaced people in recorded history. Determining who a refugee is is a complex and dynamic process. For most of Canadian history, there has been no formal definition for refugees; they were considered immigrants and were welcomed when it suited Canada's needs for labour and settlement. A formal definition of a refugee came from a 1951 UN convention that defined the term as "as a person who has fled his country because of a well-founded fear of persecution on one of five grounds: race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group or political opinion."
As of 2017, 68.5 million people are forcibly displaced from their homes, including 25.4 million refugees, 10 million stateless people 102,800 refugees resettled. Daily, 44,400 people are forced to flee their homes because of conflict and persecution. Of these people, 26,554 have been resettled in Canada.
There are many reasons people become targets for persecution. Violence and environmental destruction force some to flee their homes. People's identity, such as their race, gender, religion, ethnicity, political beliefs, or sexual orientation, can make people targets for persecution. In some states, even working as a journalist, artist or writer turns you into a threat, and they are persecuted or killed for their views by oppressive regimes. Monybany Minany Dan, now resettled in Canada but escaped from Sudan in 1998 describes how people were killed every day as the government thought everyone was a rebel.
Life as a refugee is an extremely difficult one. Those who are facing displacement, unable to return home, face an uncertain and dangerous existence. Some also face internal displacement where they are forced to flee but do not leave their home country, still refugees but now ‘internally displaced people' or IDPs. Displacement means people need to find a temporary settlement, and shelters are often dangerous and exploitative. Many refugees seek temporary housing where they try to earn a living and educate their children. However, these 'temporary' settlements can last for years and generations. For example, in the exhibit, there is a video of two men describing their experience hiding from border patrol while fleeing Hungary. The men had to take a train to the Austrian border, sleep in barns overnight with farm animals, walk for hours in the rain and bribe border guards with all the money they had.
Contrary to popular belief, most refugees don't live in camps. Instead, 60% of refugees live in cities; this is a process called self-settlement. Homes here are often overcrowded and unsafe but allow for more self-sufficiency. Furthermore, some are considered stateless people and are not considered citizens by any state and cannot be protected under its laws.
What can be done about this crisis? The exhibition presents three solutions. The first is voluntary reparation, where refugees return home safely. Many have been able to return home to Angola and Rwanda this way. In Rwanda, individuals who fled during the genocide into neighbouring counties were able to return home. A second solution is integration within the host community, meaning that refugees stay where they first found asylum. Finally, the exhibit presents the solution of resettlement where refugees permanently resettle in another country. Unfortunately, less than 1% of refugees find homes this way.
Canada, for most of the 20th century, did not have a policy for refugees. After being faced with a large-scale crisis, the government has since put in labour and skills standards to select refugees to come to Canada. There are two primary streams for refugees to settle in Canada: a claim from abroad and a claim once in Canada. In claims from abroad, refugees must prove they are facing persecution, pass a medical, criminal and security check. They are also interviewed about their experience. They are assisted by the government or private sponsorships and can come through organizations like the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. A refugee claim from Canada is for those already here, such as students and people who arrive at the border. They have a right under international law to make an asylum case. They also go through medical, criminal and security checks. Only about half of these claims are successful. Failed claimants are forced to leave the country or are deported. For these types of claims, there is a critical decision point of a hearing at the immigration and refugee board; the decision is made to accept or decline refugee claims. Private sponsors can also financially support refugees coming to Canada; they are financially responsible for refugees for at least one year after their arrival. Canada was the first to develop such a program and is regarded as the model for other countries. However, even once in Canada, government-assisted refugees often have to repay the government with interest for their transportation and medical costs.
Once in Canada, the adjustment period is a great challenge. The process of learning a new language, finding employment, housing and becoming a Canadian citizen can be very challenging for refugees. People also face identity issues, as one's social identity is knowing they belong to a social category or group. Coming to a new country creates conflict between the identity that was left behind and creating a new identity. The divide between self and other becomes heightened, therefore, having a support network is essential. These systems are family, friends, private sponsors or more formal government-funded organizations and non-profit organizations. For example, the Al Badin family escaped the Syrian Civil war in 2016 arriving in Tantallon, Nova Scotia. This family had a very strong support system with over 60 community volunteers and local businesses. Now, Ruwad Al Badin is working as a chef, and Ruba Al Badin works at a daycare center. Canada is not blameless in the refugee crisis, and there have been people who have fled from persecution in Canada. In 2014, the UN commissioner for refugees determined it was not possible to define an entire country as "safe" without considering individual circumstances.
Overall, the exhibit presented a well-rounded overview of the trials and tribulations that refugees face throughout the journey that allows everyone to learn in an accessible way. The experience was enriched by audio and visual aids to enable the viewer to get a small glimpse of refugees' experiences. The exhibit is a great learning experience and an excellent opportunity to engage in the Kingston community, and I would highly recommend people attend before the exhibit is gone. It is a great reminder to our community of the privilege we hold in Canada and is a call to action to help those who require a safe home.