Finding Refuge in Canada: Narratives of Dislocation

Finding Refuge in Canada: Narratives of Dislocation is a collection of stories that provide insightful perspectives from refugees, settlement workers, and refugee advocates. This book provides technical language and historical and political underpinnings that contextualize Canada’s evolving immigration policies. In so doing, these narratives emphasize the human toll that refugees endure, covering topics about arriving in Canada, how Canada responds to refugees, and the struggle for inclusion. The balance of information and narratives makes this book both informative and compelling.

Through each narrative, it becomes evident that Canada’s current refugee system is flawed, fragmented, and unable to manage the current backlog and continued influx of refugees. This collection dispels myths about refugees and invites readers to question and challenge Canada’s policy responses toward refugees. This collection is a call to action for those in positions of privilege and power to learn and understand the nuances and complexities involved in a process that has life and death consequences.

I would recommend this book to settlement workers, private sponsors, advocacy groups, students, and those interested in learning more about Canada’s refugee determination system and Canada’s varied responses to refugees throughout recent history. While this book makes a strong case for refugees and policy reform, it did not include the voices of those who could not communicate in English, and so misses out on their contributions.