IOM and the Canadian Orientation Abroad (COA) project - Joanie (P2P Conference)

Interpretation and

Translation

*

Child minding

*

Travel reimbursement

for urban refugees

IOM AND THE COA PROJECT

DISCUSSION

CANADIAN ORIENTATION ABROAD (COA)

OUTCOMES

UPCOMING CHANGES

Contributing to newcomers' success since 1998

For beneficiaries

INFORMED MIGRANTS ARE: PRONE TO MAKE CHANGES TO THEIR STRATEGY PRIOR TO DEPARTURE

INFORMED MIGRANTS HAVE: MORE REALISTIC EXPECTATIONS REGARDING THEIR UPCOMING MOVE

INFORMED MIGRANTS FEEL: MORE PREPARED FOR THE TRIP

• Adjusting strategies prior to departure (75%)
• Adjusting expectations (75%)
• Feeling prepared for the move (93%)
• Knowing what to do upon arrival (77%)
• Accessing settlement services upon arrival (82%)
• Easing initial settlement (84%)

INFORMED MIGRANTS KNOW: WHAT TO DO UPON ARRIVAL

INFORMED MIGRANTS ARE: MORE PRONE TO ACCESS SETTLEMENT SERVICES UPON ARRIVAL

INFORMED MIGRANTS EXPERIENCE LESS DIFFICULTY WITH INITIAL SETTLEMENT

- Express Entry in January 2015

- iCARE and client tracking in April 2015

- New partnerships opportunities

- Increased role for Provinces and Territories

ORIENTATION FORMAT

For SPOs & Communities

1998

2014

• Preparing for the resettlement of groups with specific needs (Presse; Sherrel, Friesen & al.)

INFORMED PARTNERS CAN BETTER PREPARE FOR UPCOMING GROUPS/FAMILIES

Cultural profiles

Karen; Bhutanese; Eritreans.

Medical profiles

Karen; Bhutanese; Congolese; Syrians.

Needs Assessments

Individual and family assessment (mobility & health).

Orientation to refugees

More than 181,000 participants in 16 years

- 3-day orientation in the mother tongue of participants

- Targeted curriculum & learning tools (including for the youth)

- Orientation provided for urban and camp-based refugees

Orientation to FSWs, PNs, FC and their spouses and dependents

CHALLENGES

- 1-day orientation in English or French

- Targeted curriculum & self-learning tools

- Self-registration

Providing relevant, accurate, consistent, and timely information to help newcomers make informed settlement decisions.

Orientation to Live-in Caregivers

- 1-day orientation in English or French

- Targeted curriculum & self-learning tools

- Self-registration

Increased Outreach

CUMULATIVE STATISTICS

PROVINCES OF DESTINATION

BENEFICIARIES

- Be proactive in determining where PDO is offered

- Better promote services where they are available

Refugees

Including Government-Assisted Refugees (GARs), Privately-Sponsored Refugees (PSRs), Visa Office-referred cases (VORs), Blended VORs, and refugees in the Joint-Assistance (JAS) Program.

Independent Immigrants

Including Federal Skilled Worker (FSW) class, Provincial Nominee (PN) class, Canadian Experience class (CEC), Business Immigration classes (Investor, Entrepreneur and Self-employed) and their spouses and adult dependents.

Thank you!

Caregivers

(Only in the Philippines)

Target for FY2014-15: 12,732 (6,924 as of Q2)

Needs Assessments

- Refugees: Information on destinations

- Immigrants: Employment preparation

VISIT OUR NEW WEBSITE

Post-arrival connections

- Find gateway organizations

- Build on the experience of the settlement sector

WWW.COA-OCE.CA

OBJECTIVES

ORIENTATION RESOURCES

& SUPPORT SERVICES

Travel

Canada

Important

documents

Goals &

expectations

Luggage

Rights &

Responsibilities

Health

Where to find

help

Housing

Education

Communities

Transportation

Work &

job-market

Banking & Money

Family roles &

cultural norms

- Provide accurate information about life in Canada;

- Help immigrants develop realistic expectations;

- Increase and develop awareness and skills necessary to

successfully adapt to a new life, especially during the

first six months of stay in Canada;

- Increase capacity to integrate to the Canadian job market;

- Address any questions and concerns that the immigrants

may have regarding their move to Canada.

IOM

PRE-DEPARTURE ORIENTATION

To make valuable use of the waiting period prior to travel

PRE-DEPARTURE SETTLEMENT SUPPORT

The International Organization for Migration is an inter-governmental organization with 155 State Members and 113 Observers.

From 1990 ...

And beyond..

COA IN THE WORLD

IOM in the World

From ≈11,500 to 15,000

One of the first pre-departure settlement service support offered by the Government of Canada was the overseas component of the Language Instruction for Newcomers to Canada (LINC) Program.

PARTNERS IN CANADA

In-person orientation to independent immigrants.

17 Permanent sites operating in over 35 locations

From ≈6,500 to 8,500

In-person orientation to refugees (2,300 Youth aged 10-19).

• Created in 1951 to help States deal with refugees in post-WWII Europe.

Global Experience Ontario

Up to 60,000

- 470 field locations in over 100 countries.

- Unmatched deployment capacity for mobile activities.

- Established partnerships with local stakeholders.

- 8,000 Staff in the field, with thorough understanding of

migrants’ needs and local operational challenges.

- Cost-sharing model based on projectization.

DEFINING

- 60-70 hours of language training (English or French).

- Government Assisted and Family Sponsored cases.

- Emphasis on communicative competence.

- First in Austria, Greece and Italy, followed by Hong Kong, Thailand, the

Philippines, Croatia, the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (at the time),

Hungary and Vietnam.

- Transitioned to the COA project in 1998.

- Over 20,000 participants of all ages.

Economic immigrants receiving online services.

Pre-Departure Orientation for Migrants

Canadian Immigrant Integration Program (CIIP)

Other priorities

Three core components (IOM)

Tailored orientation - Bridges with SPOs in Canada Focus on Francophone Minority Communities

YMCA of Greater Toronto

Russia (R.S.)

Canada

Countries reached in 2013-14:

Tajikistan

IOM in Canada

COA Working Group on Orientation to refugees

Pakistan

Turkey

Factual information about the country of destination;

Assistance in developing the skills needed to succeed in a new environment (e.g., how to find accommodation, how to get a job, how to access health care facilities) and;

Information on the attitudes necessary for successful integration (e.g., flexibility, open-mindedness, initiative, self-reliance).

FEDERAL DEPARTMENTS

• Based in Geneva, Switzerland.

Four locations in Islamabad, Karachi,

Lahore and Peshawar

Lebanon

Mobile missions at the border of Lebanon and Syria (Masnaa Border)

CITIZENSHIP AND IMMIGRATION CANADA

To 2014 ...

Jordan

Nepal

Egypt

Mexico

Philippines

Sudan

- Employment and Social

Development Canada

(ESDC)

- Canadian Border Services

Agency (CBSA)

- Department of Foreign

Affairs, Trade and

Development (DFATD)

Colombia

Sri Lanka

Ethiopia

Malaysia

Ghana (R.S.)

Kenya (R.S.)

Ecuador

#

- Resettlement Assistance

- Health Assessment

- Pre-departure Orientation

- Visa Application Services

- Needs Assessments

- Cultural and Medical Profiles

PROVINCES

& TERRITORIES

Countries reached in 2013-2014:

Benin, Cameroon, Congo, Gabon, Guinea, Ivory Coast, Liberia, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone

Countries reached in 2013-2014:

Botswana, Burundi, Eritrea, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia

- Documents integrity and

verification services

- Seasonal and Temporary

Migrant Training

Calgary Catholic Immigration Society (CCIS)

COSTI Immigrant Services

Immigrant Service Society of British Columbia (ISSofBC)

Immigrant Settlement and Integration Services (ISIS)

Manitoba Interfaith Immigration Council (MIIC)

Refugee Sponsorship Training Program (RSTP)

Solidarité ethnique de la Yamaska (SERY)

YMCA of Greater Toronto - Client support services (CSS)

Two interrelated objectives (CIC)

COA OUTREACH (2006-2011)

• Canada is a member since 1951.

Average outreach from 2005-06 to 2011-12, in countries where COA is offered.

Source: CIC Evaluation of Overseas Orientation Initiatives (2012)

To provide newcomers with relevant, accurate, consistent, and timely information that is needed to make informed settlement decisions and access settlement services and;

To promote a contextual understanding of life in Canada, including laws, rights, and the democratic system.

Migrant training

• Over 2,500 programs & activities.

8%

31%-56%

of independent immigrants

of refugees

Through its 55 migrant training programs and activities, IOM provided orientation to more than 40,000 migrants in 2013.

Cultural orientation projects include:

% Of eligible clients who accessed PDO in countries where it is offered.

Source: CIC landings data for a 5-year period (2006 to 2010)

- Canadian Orientation Abroad (15 sites; 13,000).

- United States Cultural Orientation (21 sites; 18,000).

- Australian Cultural Orientation (21 sites; 4,000).

- Norwegian Cultural Orientation (5 sites; 650).

- UK Cultural Orientation (5 sites; 600).

- Other programs: Belgium, Finland, Germany, Ireland,

Japan, Netherlands, Thailand.

IOM TRAINING ACTIVITIES WITH PROVINCES AND TERRITORIES (2013-2014)

• Mauritians to AB, SK, MB & QC
• Tunisians to SK
• Guatemalans to all Provinces but SK
• Salvadorans to AB and MB
• Colombians to MB
• Hondurans to AB and MB

IOM Support and Assistance: Recruitment support, fit-for-work evaluation, pre-Consular assistance, medical clearance, travel and visa assistance, pre-departure orientation, airport assistance, monitoring and post return feed back.

Other activities with Universities & Employers.