What is a Refugee?
The following is the Geneva Convention definition for a refugee. This convention is recognized worldwide and has been signed by Canada:
Geneva Convention Definition of a Refugee, 1951, 1967
A refugee is a person who “owing to well-founded fear of being persecuted for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group or political opinion, is outside the country of his nationality and is unable or, owing to such fear, is unwilling to avail himself of the protection of that country; or who, not having a nationality and being outside the country of his former habitual residence..., is unable or, owing to such fear, is unwilling to return to it.” (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, 2012).
IMMIGRANT V. REFUGEE
It is important to note that there are distinct differences between refugees and immigrants. These differences represent the definition of each respective population and present contextual information for physical, emotional and behavioural problems that may manifest after arrival to Canada.
Refugees in Canada
Since 2002 Canada has been recognized as one of the top three re-settlement countries in the world for refugees. In 2010, Citizenship and Immigration Canada in the Balanced Refugee Reform Act, stated “Canada would be increasing landings of both government sponsored and privately sponsored refugees, receiving 14, 000 in 2011, 15, 800 in 2012, and 16, 400 in 2013. The top countries were refugees in Canada come from are: Iraq, Bhutan, Somalia, Afghanistan, Ethiopia, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Eritea, Burma, Colombia, and Iran.
Geneva Convention Definition of a Refugee, 1951, 1967
A refugee is a person who “owing to well-founded fear of being persecuted for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group or political opinion, is outside the country of his nationality and is unable or, owing to such fear, is unwilling to avail himself of the protection of that country; or who, not having a nationality and being outside the country of his former habitual residence..., is unable or, owing to such fear, is unwilling to return to it.” (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, 2012).
IMMIGRANT V. REFUGEE
It is important to note that there are distinct differences between refugees and immigrants. These differences represent the definition of each respective population and present contextual information for physical, emotional and behavioural problems that may manifest after arrival to Canada.
Refugees in Canada
Since 2002 Canada has been recognized as one of the top three re-settlement countries in the world for refugees. In 2010, Citizenship and Immigration Canada in the Balanced Refugee Reform Act, stated “Canada would be increasing landings of both government sponsored and privately sponsored refugees, receiving 14, 000 in 2011, 15, 800 in 2012, and 16, 400 in 2013. The top countries were refugees in Canada come from are: Iraq, Bhutan, Somalia, Afghanistan, Ethiopia, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Eritea, Burma, Colombia, and Iran.
At Risk Students
Many refugees, upon landing in Canada, will find themselves as members of poverty stricken communities, and thus it can be inferred that they will present themselves as students at risk. This is referring to those who are in situations that can lead to academic, personal, and behavior problems that could limit their success in school. Some of the most common challenges they may face are social economic challenges, psychological challenges, and academic challenges.
Poverty
The following statistics from the Canadian Teacher’s Federation (2009) reference the realities of poverty in Canadian communities:
Psychological Challenges
Poverty
The following statistics from the Canadian Teacher’s Federation (2009) reference the realities of poverty in Canadian communities:
- Nearly one out of every nine Canadian children lives in poverty.
- Nearly one out of every two children (49%) living in a family that recently immigrated to Canada (1996-2001) lives in poverty.
- Poverty rates are a formidable barrier in Aboriginal communities. Almost one in two Aboriginal children (49%) under the age of six (not living in First Nations communities) lives in a low-income family.
- In 2007, 720, 230 people in Canada used food banks, including 280, 900 children. This is an 86% increase since the 1989 unanimous House of Commons’ resolution to end child poverty.
Psychological Challenges
- Families are often seperated when refugees make the move to a new country. Children are often sent to homes of relatives or friends without their parents or siblings. This can lead to extreme feelings of lonliness and isolation. Additionally, many families are torn a part because of war, famine, or natural disaster causing some children to arrive to new countries without any family.
- Refugee children can suffer from multiple co-existent mental and psychological symptoms centring on post traumatic stress disorder because of their exposure to extremely traumatic situations.
- Symptoms may be but are not limited to and manifest at differently at dfferent ages: confusion, memory loss, disordered memory about events, personality change, imitation of violent behaviour, sleep depravation, trauma and guilt over ones survival - website
- Additionally within a school environment there are certain situations may trigger PTSD events; such as fire alarms, police presence, loud or harsh talking, and regular school bells.
School Challenges
Social Challenges
Many refugee children will be unfamiliar with the social norms of Western society or more generally of society at large. These children, for the most part, have been born and raised in refugee camps, which follow a different set of norms, customs, and laws than Western society. This is especially noticeable in the classroom, where routines and expectations are clearly set and followed. Students may require additional help with understanding:
Academic Challenges
There are major academic challenges for refugee children. In most cases these children will not be at grade level for any subject and the are mostly non-native English speakers. This results in a very difficult time in school. It should be noted that there is a small group of refugee learners who will enter the classroom with limited exposure to any formal schooling at all. These children will have had limited schooling in their native language and will have limited or no literacy or numeracy skills. Additionally, there may also be students with limited formal schooling who are the children of temporary foreign workers. These students may have attended school in their home country, but may have experienced gaps because of movement between more than one country.
Many refugee children will be unfamiliar with the social norms of Western society or more generally of society at large. These children, for the most part, have been born and raised in refugee camps, which follow a different set of norms, customs, and laws than Western society. This is especially noticeable in the classroom, where routines and expectations are clearly set and followed. Students may require additional help with understanding:
- waiting in line or for one's turn
- how to use the bathroom facilities
- learning how to stay or sit in one place for a long period of time
- use everyday school equipment such as pencils, door handles, locks and lockers, computers, books
Academic Challenges
There are major academic challenges for refugee children. In most cases these children will not be at grade level for any subject and the are mostly non-native English speakers. This results in a very difficult time in school. It should be noted that there is a small group of refugee learners who will enter the classroom with limited exposure to any formal schooling at all. These children will have had limited schooling in their native language and will have limited or no literacy or numeracy skills. Additionally, there may also be students with limited formal schooling who are the children of temporary foreign workers. These students may have attended school in their home country, but may have experienced gaps because of movement between more than one country.