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Social Aspect of Immigration, Migration and Refugee issues
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BRAINSTORMING
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Refugees put their education on hold
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What factors prevent education in a country that would be a push factor for emigration?
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Gender
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Violence
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Literacy levels
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Institutional capacity
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Terrorism/security
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Social exclusion and culture
How to prevent this from happening?
- Celebrate cultural diversity, to creat better understanding between cultures
Make sure that governments allow for migrants to keep their heritage and culture
- Creating better opportunities for education in refugees camps
SOCIAL PROGRAMS
ORGANIZATIONS
1) Canada: Canadian Orientation Abroad (COA)
This program provides refugees and immigrants with information to orient themselves within the country prior to their arrival in Canada. It is an overseas-oriented project that is funded by Citizenship and Immigration Canada and is implemented by the International Organization for Migration. This project is offered to all visa-ready migrants coming to Canada by themselves or with other family members. It is designed to give these individuals relevant information about the necessary documents needed in the country, how to get employment school registration, health care and much more.
2) International Organization for Migration
4) World University Services of Canada
LANGUAGE PROGRAMS
Amongst the first things that new arrivals do in the country they immigrate to do is need to learn the language. Some may be fortunate enough to know the basics of the langue or may be fluent. For the remainder of the immigrants they need to complete language courses and some countries have proved that this process is not the most effective. Canada has had some difficulties with the effectiveness of the language courses. Many of the migrants taking these language courses are not learning enough and are not absorbing the information. What should be noted is that language prioritization is a new thing for the government of Canada as part of the immigration process. Different branches of the government evaluate the progress of the language courses differently. Some think that the language inefficiency is gravely affecting the workforce, while others recognize that it is still a new project.
Some questions to consider: Do migrants want to participate in these classes? Do they want to be that integrated into society? Is there a potential for these individuals to not have the desire to learn and new language and fully integrate themselves? What resources are lacking within the program for it to be efficient? Are there enough and the right kind of teachers? Do the courses come at a cost or for free? Meanwhile, millions of children are coming of age in refugee camps, often under duress, and with no natural sense of belonging. Rootless and disillusioned, often traumatized by growing up amid civil wars or community violence, more young people become anti-system and vulnerable to recruitment by violent groups or gangs.
Case Studies
Social Integration: The British case
Watch these two videos on how UK Prime Minister David Cameron is proposing to integrate Muslims into the country.
Social Integration: The German Case
Germany has found an innovative way to integrate migrants and refugees into their country more smoothly. Refugees and migrants to do not depart from their home country without their smartphone since they are great navigational tools. Once they arrive at their destination, the navigational tool is no longer needed and the smartphones can be used in a different way. The German government has designed an app to allow these new comers to get accustomed to the country very quickly. The app contains a language courses, detailed guidance on the asylum process, job-hunting advice, and a section on German cultural mores. This is an innovative way to encourage integration and provide social support for these individuals.
Avoiding the Lost Generation: The Syrian Case
This video talks about how children in refugee camps are not receiving the proper education; they could be called the “lost generation”. This video explains the initiative taken on by on Syrian principal who is trying to promote education within refugee camps so that these children do not become illiterate or be tempted into violence. What can Commonwealth countries do to support this sort of imitative?
CASE STUDY: Xenophobia in South Africa & Human Rights of Migrants
Al Jazeera has created an open discussion on some of most pressing issues of the world. In this discussion, their reporters focus on the costs of migrant. They look at various impacts and the reactions to migration from a variety of countries. One of the more important case studies focuses in on the xenophobic response to migrants in South Africa. The video and article they produced hopes to answer questions on how the world should protect the human rights of refugees and migrants, how their migration should be tracked, etc.
Use this article and video investigate into the ways the Commonwealth can promote safe travel and integration for migrants all the while respecting human rights.