The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on refugee resettlement in Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada

Abstract

The Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has introduced new challenges to vulnerable populations globally. This is especially true in the case of refugees who have attempted to resettle since the disease’s outbreak. Refugee resettlement refers to the movement from a country of asylum to another for permanent residence. Research shows that during this process, refugees tend to face significant challenges, such as overcoming language and employment barriers, which ultimately lead to delays in integration. This thesis seeks to identify additional challenges during a pandemic. To test the hypothesis that the COVID-19 pandemic has introduced additional dimensions to existing challenges and has created new ones altogether in refugee resettlement, interviews were conducted. The research participants were divided into three groups, refugees, private sponsors, and those who facilitate resettlement in Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada. Thematic content analysis was used analyze responses by identifying patterns of experiences and observations. The results indicate that the COVID-19 pandemic not only made existing challenges increasingly difficult for refugees to overcome, but also highlighted new challenges. Specifically, social distancing measures, a weak labour market, and increasing physical and mental health needs impacted refugees’ abilities to overcome language and employment barriers. The pandemic also presented new challenges in achieving social cohesion between newcomers and locals, in accessing physical and mental health services, and in physically relocating.