Finding Refuge in Canada: Narratives of Dislocation ed. by George Melnyk and Christina Parker

Abstract

Reviewed by: Finding Refuge in Canada: Narratives of Dislocation ed. by George Melnyk and Christina Parker Ellen Ahlness George Melnyk and Christina Parker, eds. Finding Refuge in Canada: Narratives of Dislocation. Edmonton: Athabasca University Press, 2021. 190 pp. $27.99 pb. Canada often touts its reputation for well-welcoming refugees, both domestically and internationally. Norwegian and Swedish politicians regularly travel to Canada to learn from their supposed best practices in hospitably integrating newcomers to the country. Yet recent years have highlighted major problems in the country’s refugee and immigration system. Canada’s system has experienced a backlog in applications, tremendous frustration over complexity and bureaucracy by applicants, and criticism over the insufficiency of its newcomer services. Exploring the breadth of experiences refugees face is Finding Refuge in Canada, a collection of first-person essays written by former refugees and others who work in varying capacities to help refugees establish and situate themselves in Canada. The contributors span those who fled their countries, to major policy and organizational leaders who shape the environments individuals migrate into once arriving in Canada. Canada’s otherwise positive reputation of ‘benevolence’ when it comes to its treatment of, support for, and integration attitudes toward immigrants is investigated in this edited volume; the firsthand accounts challenge the standard palatable image for domestic and international consumption. The narratives of the book challenge the otherwise non-critical dominant public discourse about the identities and perceptions of refugees. While every chapter is a valuable contribution to the collection, several chapters particularly stand out. Flora Terah’s account of the effects and consequences of post-traumatic stress disorder are impactful. Forceful relocation results in stress, depression, grief, and other complicated emotions that do not go away once an individual or family has landed in a physically safe location. Other chapters consider how Canada’s historical involvement in war, political and ethnic conflict, and peacemaking shape how it treats domestic newcomers, ultimately shaping the individual experiences of people who participate in refugee support processes. Katharine Lake Berz and Julia Holland’s chapter stands out in demonstrating how those already in Canada have risen to the challenge in expanding the social services and emotional support awaiting new refugees. The chapters that examine private immigration support efforts are simultaneously heartening and concerning: while it is encouraging to read about the efforts private citizens, organizations, and residents [End Page 205] have made to fulfill gaps in immigration and support services, they lead the readers to wonder how such gaps persist in the first place. There are many data points and features of Canada’s immigration policy that are likely to surprise readers. For example, Canadian federal court judge average approval ratings for asylum seeker claims can range over 75 percent. The sheer number of refugees who require emotional and mental support services, yet do not receive them, is staggering. Most of all, all but the readers most informed in immigration policy will be astounded at the backlog that exists in Canada’s immigration system. The book avoids falling into the trap of using too much jargon or policy vernacular. This is a pitfall that is common in collections that combine personal accounts from individuals who live through challenges with accounts from those who operate on the policy side of the equation; yet Finding Refuge in Canada overcomes this to create a book that is accessible to a wide range of readers. At the same time, the book does an excellent job of bridging ‘descriptive’ and ‘prescriptive’ writing. While the collection at large does not directly put forward specific, concrete agendas or policy recommendations, the personal suggestions and recommendations for more just immigration policy by the contributors shines through, whether explicitly stated, or hinted at through the vivid descriptions of gaps in Canadian immigration policy. By the end of the text, readers have a better, more developed understanding of the sheer physical, mental, and emotional toll that asylum-and refuge-seeking places on the individual, or the family. Readers—whether they already engage in advocacy causes, sponsorships, or other political organizations—will feel a call to action through the pages. At the very least, readers will come away with a desire to stay informed...