Rana Telfah, PhD in Rural Studies
After the Syrian conflict, thousands of refugees fled to neighbouring countries, while fewer travelled to different regions worldwide. Within Canada, 54,560 Syrian refugees were resettled by 2019 (Bose, 2020, P. 14), with Southwestern Ontario welcoming many of these refugees. Various researchers have highlighted different aspects of the experiences of Syrian refugee families in the Canadian context. However, my research explores the experiences of Syrian refugee families during early settlement: employment, education, housing, building relationships, and health. I also looked at household and social reproduction, including the factors that influence social reproductive activities within Syrian households in different-sized communities and via different sponsorship types. Using Nvivo analysis of 38 interviews on early settlement experiences in twelve Southwestern different-sized communities provided insight into the lived experience of these families in general and Syrian women in particular. This research highlights the marginalized voices regarding settlement, helping us to understand the Syrian refugee families’ early experiences while helping to identify policy options that would help alleviate challenges and hasten their full integration into their respective communities.