Resettlement Experiences of Syrian Refugees in Gatineau, Quebec

Abstract

Quebec has resettled a large number of Syrian refugees since 2015 through state and private sponsorship, two types of refugee sponsorship that provide distinct forms of support. While privately sponsored refugees join their sponsor where they reside, those who are government sponsored are generally resettled outside of large urban centres under a policy of regionalisation of immigration. We examine the case of a small city, Gatineau, in order to highlight the role of the local context in the resettlement experiences of government- and private- sponsored refugees in relation to language learning and job integration.