Jugo Vukojevic is an Ottawa-based policy analyst.
EU, UNICEF, and scholarly reports show that women refugees often have a more difficult time securing employment, lack adequate access to important health services, and face a double discrimination effect of being minorities and women. Similar data is found among refugees in Canada, with reports showing consistently lower employment rates for refugee women.
Canada has a positive record of refugee acceptance and a relatively comprehensive integration strategy. Research has shown, however, that refugees still struggle to integrate in a number of areas. Long term data shows that refugees contribute a great deal to the Canadian economy, achieve high educational levels, and integrate relatively well. Despite strong willingness to start over and succeed in Canada, the process of integration can be long and arduous with many structural and social barriers.
