The appearance and disappearance of asylum seeking families
from the DPRK in Canada
Researchers: Ann Kim, Sean Chung, Jack Kim, Shine Chung
Affiliation: York University
Research Partner: HanVoice, KCWA Family and Social Services
Keywords: North Korean migrants, refugees, asylum-seekers, secondary migration
Go to: Methodology, Findings
Summary
Objective: To better understand, acknowledge, and support the work done by ethnocultural community groups in meeting the needs of immigrants and refugees in Winnipeg.
Justification: Ethnocultural community organizations are often a first point of contact for many newcomers, yet little is known about their role in the settlement process. It is necessary to better understand where newcomers go to access information and supports and to give policymakers, researchers, and service providers a clear picture of the formal and informal sources they access.
Practical goal: To focus on the role of ethnocultural community organizations in newcomer settlement and highlight where more support is needed. The study will inform Immigration Partnership Winnipeg’s (IPW) future initiatives and provide representatives of ethnocultural community organizations with a resource to leverage funding and supports.
Primary audience: Ethnocultural community organizations, service providers, policy makers, and municipal governments.
Methodology
Two community workshops were facilitated by IPW, bringing together representatives of Winnipeg’s ethnocultural communities to discuss concerns, challenges, and opportunities regarding newcomer settlement. In the first workshop, funding was the most common challenge discussed. In response, the second workshop focused on identifying funding sources and developing successful proposals. The research report brings together the discussions from those two workshops into a cohesive narrative of the experiences, challenges, and concerns faced by ethnocultural community organizations.
Findings
Ethnocultural organizations play an important trust-building role in newcomer settlement, as newcomers do not always trust the formal institutions designed to assist them.
Many ethnocultural community organizations rely on volunteers. Recruiting and retaining dedicated volunteers is a challenge, and burnout is common due to long, irregular hours and strains on personal finances. A fluctuating group of volunteers often lacks the knowledge and skills necessary to effectively provide services to newcomers. Ethnocultural community organizations need access to training opportunities that build the essential skills and capacity of volunteers.
Ethnocultural community organizations would like greater recognition, support, and engagement from the municipal government.
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