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How many refugees have come to Canada in 2023?

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How many refugees have come to Canada in 2023?

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According to the Government of Canada some 14,140 refugees have come to Canada in 2023 alone. (Government of Canada, 2023 ) https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/refugees/asylum-claims/asylum-claims-2023.html

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What is the newcomer wraparound support program at VIRCS? The newcomer wraparound support program at VIRCS is a program that is available to protected persons of Canada as well as conventional refugees. This program gives refugees a list of resources available in Canada in relation to their level of English, education, and employment history. It is free and there is a form to fill out on the website. https://www.vircs.bc.ca/newcomer-wraparound-support-program

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Pathways to Professions, Trades, Entrepreneurship (P2PTE)

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Pathways to Professions, Trades, Entrepreneurship (P2PTE)

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What is pathways to professions, trades, entrepreneurship (P2PTE) at VIRCS? Pathways to professions, trades, entrepreneurship (P2PTE) is available to Youth 18 - 30 years of age, must be eligible to work in Canada. It is eligible for protected persons that are not currently employed or attending school full time. “The youth employment program offers employment skills training to youth facing barriers to employment.  For 6 or 8 weeks, participants study in class to learn about employment related skills and career exploration while being paid a living allowance. At the end of this training, they have the opportunity to complete a work experience which can lead to permanent, long term employment” (VIRCS, n.d.). https://www.vircs.bc.ca/pathways-to-professions

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BC Settlement and Integration Services (BC SIS)

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BC Settlement and Integration Services (BC SIS)

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What is the BC settlement and integration services (BC SIS) at VIRCS?

Refugee claimants are eligible to access this program at no charge. BC SIS staff will help to assist refugee claimants “meet settlement needs, connect to the community, access labour market information and support, and upgrade your English language proficiency where appropriate“ (VIRCS, n.d.). In addition there is a form to fill out on the website. https://www.vircs.bc.ca/bc-settlement-and-integration-services

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What is the enable program for children and youth at VIRCS? This program is available to refugees. The program “supports the needs of immigrant and refugee, children, and youth between the ages of 6 - 19. All our services are designed to address their academic, social, and emotional needs as they transition into Canadian Society'' (VIRCS, n.d.). Some of the program activities include tutoring, art therapy, and youth night activities. https://www.vircs.bc.ca/enable-program-for-children-and-youth

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What is the welcome gardens at VIRCS? “ [The] Welcome Gardens is a VIRCS settlement service program. Designed to battle food insecurity and help newcomer and vulnerable populations to overcome barriers to their well-being. The program provides the necessary tools and resources for newcomers and senior community members to grow nutritious, affordable, and culturally-preferred foods together while fostering intercultural collaborations that strengthen Victoria’s social, environmental, and economic resilience” (VIRCS, n.d.). https://www.vircs.bc.ca/welcome-gardens

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Island health has many resources for refugees. These include showing where to get labs, x-rays, and vaccines. Island Health also aids refugees in accessing “The Interim Federal Health Program (IFHP) provides limited, temporary coverage of health-care benefits to people in the following groups who aren’t eligible for provincial or territorial health insurance protected persons, including resettled refugees; refugee claimants” (Government of Canada, 2017)

https://www.islandhealth.ca/learn-about-health/trauma-informed-care/refugee-care

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At the Inter-Cultural Association there are programs for children ages 7-14 such as “The Landing Spot'' which is an after school program that includes art, sports, and games. Another program that is offered is one-on-one support. For ages 15-18 some of the programs are one-on-one support, homework helpers, and “Culture Catch Up” a free program that includes “games and activities include outdoor adventures, exploring Victoria, art, sports, community building, and more” (Inter-Cultural Association, n.d.). From ages 19-28 the programs that are available are one-on-one support and “That Thing on Thursdays” which is the same as “Culture Catch Up” but for young adults instead of youth. https://www.icavictoria.org/immigrant-welcome-centre/youth-family-services/

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What is the UN Refugee Agency? The UN Refugee Agency for Canada is a website that shows the rights/supports you have as a refugee entering Canada. These include the right/support of healthcare, banking, employment, education, social assistance benefits, and more. Some of these do have conditions that apply for example, education  is only available for free if you are under 18 years of age. But as covered in previous slides there are many supports for education. https://help.unhcr.org/canada/rights-and-duties-3/rights-and-duties-2/

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Provincial Health Services Authority - Interpreting services

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Provincial Health Services Authority - Interpreting services

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Are there any translation services available to refugees at medical centres? Yes, the Provincial Health Services Authority offers interpreting services for over 200 languages, 24 hours per day, 7 days per week. This service is free of cost to patients and their families. There are four different ways that  interpreting can be accessed depending where you are in the province, these ways are on-site interpreting, virtual health visit interpreting, video remote interpreting, and over the phone interpreting. http://www.phsa.ca/health-professionals/professional-resources/language-services/interpreting#:~:text=Provincial%20Language%20Services%20provides%20language,and%20immigrant%20and%20refugee%20populations.

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Vancouver Island Counselling Centre for Immigrants and Refugees (VICCIR)

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Vancouver Island Counselling Centre for Immigrants and Refugees (VICCIR)

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There is counselling available for refugees in Victoria. The Vancouver Island Counselling Centre for Immigrants and Refugees (VICCIR), “charge on a sliding scale, depending on your ability to pay. The table below shows the cost per session according to the income for your whole family” (VICCIR, n.d.). If you are eligible for the Interim Federal Health Program (IFHP) the first year you are here (in Canada) is free for counselling. https://www.viccir.org/what-we-do

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On the Foundry website there is a program called the ‘Victoria Period Project.’ This resource is intended for people who can not afford or safely assess menstrual products. “Each monthly pack includes a variety of menstrual products of the person's choosing, as well as a snack and a small self-care gift” (Foundry, n.d.). This resource is free of charge and there is a form to fill out on the foundry’s website. https://www.victoriayouthclinic.ca/services

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Living edge in Victoria provides. Free groceries to anyone in need you do not need to register or show I.D. to access this support. How does it work? “Pick up a numbered ticket starting at 3 PM (groceries to be distributed at 5 PM)” There are multiple areas for pick up such as in Downtown, Uvic, Esquimalt, and more. https://livingedge.ngo/markets/

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