PART 1 PART 1 PART 3 PART 3 INTO PRACTICE - The UN Refugee ... · with an interest in refugee...

PART 2 PLANNING FOR ALL

PART 3PART 1 APPLYING THE FRAMEWORK IN KEY PROGRAM AREAS

PUTTING PRINCIPLES INTO PRACTICE

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REFUGEE RESETTLEMENT

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CHAPTER 2.11CreatingWelcomingand HospitableCommunitiesand RestoringFaith inGovernment

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GOALS FOR INTEGRATION(SEE CHAPTER 1.3)

●●●➔ The focus ofthis Chapter

●●● To keepin mind

●●● ONE To restore security, control andsocial and economic independenceby meeting basic needs, facilitatingcommunication and fostering theunderstanding of the receiving society.

●●● TWO To promote the capacity to rebuilda positive future in the receiving society.

●●● THREE To promote family reunificationand restore supportive relationshipswithin families.

●●● FOUR To promote connections withvolunteers and professionals able toprovide support.

●●●➔ FIVE To restore confidence inpolitical systems and institutions andto reinforce the concept of human rightsand the rule of law.

●●●➔ SIX To promote cultural andreligious integrity and to restoreattachments to, and promote participationin, community, social, cultural andeconomic systems by valuing diversity.

●●●➔ SEVEN To counter racism,discrimination and xenophobia and buildwelcoming and hospitable communities.

●●●➔ EIGHT To support the developmentof strong, cohesive refugee communitiesand credible refugee leadership.

●●● NINE To foster conditions thatsupport the integration potential of allresettled refugees taking into account theimpact of age, gender, familystatus and past experience.

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Chapter 2.11Creating Welcoming andHospitable Communities andRestoring Faith in Government

Welcoming and extending hospitality to resettledrefugees and restoring their faith in government arecritical goals of a refugee resettlement program andthemes discussed throughout this Handbook. Strategiesfor promoting hospitality in key systems such as healthcare and employment placement services, as well as inspecific components of an integration program, such asreception and orientation, are discussed in otherrelevant Chapters.

The focus of this Chapter, however, is on ways in whichcountries of resettlement can foster a broader socialclimate so that resettled refugees feel welcome, safe andunderstood in their day-to-day interactions in thecommunities, workplaces, schools and otherinstitutions of the receiving society and so that receivingsocieties benefit from the attributes of resettledrefugees. It is concerned with steps that can be taken toachieve these objectives at both the community andgovernmental levels and through the media.


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➔ What is a welcoming and hospitable community?

THERE IS a broadconsensus in existingcountries of resettlementthat a welcoming andhospital community is onewhich:• accepts and embraces

diversity of culture, race,ethnicity and religion;

• promotes diversity as anasset to receivingsocieties;

• extends support tonewcomers to ensure thatthey have equitable accessto the resources of thereceiving society and are

able to participate equallyin it;

• supports newcomers tomaintain and build theirconnections with theirculture-of-origin as well asthe receiving community;

• promotes freedom fromxenophobia, racism anddiscrimination;

• promotes anunderstanding of thenature and consequencesof the refugee andresettlement experience atgovernmental,institutional and

community levels;• has a commitment to the

protection and promotionof human rights atdomestic and internationallevels.

In an integration context,however, it is important thathospitality is viewed as a‘two-way street’ withresettled refugees alsobeing offered opportunitiesto understand and negotiatethe culture of the receivingcountry. Strategies forachieving this are discussedin Chapter 2.7.

C H E C K L I S T

Planning and supporting the developmentof welcoming and hospitable communities

REFUGEE RESETTLEMENT214

CREATING WELCOMING AND HOSPITABLE COMMUNITIESAND RESTORING FAITH IN GOVERNMENT

When establishing a new resettlementprogram, give priority to: ■■✓ soliciting the support of community

leaders in local integration sites;■■✓ developing a media strategy;■■✓ preparing a media information kit;■■✓ identifying integration experts in relevant

ministries;■■✓ making provision to grant resettled

refugees permanent residency;■■✓ citizenship provisions.

In the longer term, aim for: ■■✓ strategies to engage and build the

capacity of key local constituencies tosupport integration (e.g. employers,labour unions, faith-based communities,local authorities);

■■✓ strategies to strengthen ethno-culturalcommunities and cultural and religiousinstitutions;

■■✓ planning and legislative frameworks topromote integration and cultural diversity;

■■✓ developing pre- or post arrival culturalorientation programs;

■■✓ strategies to counter racism andxenophobia;

■■✓ strategies to promote communityawareness and understanding ofrefugee resettlement in the media;

■■✓ strategies to protect and monitorhuman rights.

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Hospitable communities as resourcesfor integration and rebuilding

A welcoming and hospitable environment can support theintegration of resettled refugees by:—assisting them to re-establish and maintain a feeling of

security in their new country, since fear and anxiety resultingfrom traumatic experiences often persists long after arrival;

—assisting them to feel a sense of belonging;—ensuring that resettled refugees are able to access the

resources they require for their resettlement andparticipation in the communities and institutions of thereceiving society;

—strengthening cultural communities, thereby enhancing newarrivals’ access to social support and enabling them toreconnect with cultural and religious institutions andpractices;

—fostering a climate of understanding, acceptance andtolerance of people from refugee backgrounds, enhancingthe prospects of them developing meaningful connectionswith individuals and institutions in the receiving society;

—restoring the trust often lost in others in the course of theirrefugee experiences, particularly in government officials andothers in a position of authority (see p. 20);

—affirming that they are believed and that they have the rightto the protection of the receiving country and to be treatedwith respect and dignity.

In an environment in which they are made welcome resettledrefugees are not only better placed to contribute their skills andattributes, but will have a higher level of motivation to do so.Facilitating access to resources and fostering the conditions inwhich resettled refugees can engage with systems andindividuals in the receiving society also helps to prevent theirsocial and economic marginalisation. Mutual understandingand respect between resettled refugees and the widercommunity helps to build a socially cohesive and harmonioussociety. This has benefits not only for resettled refugees, butalso for other distinct groups, such as indigenous communitiesand people with disabilities.

Factors affecting welcoming and hospitality

Many resettled refugees originate from countries wheregovernment officials and professionals are involved inperpetrating violence and persecution. For these reasonsresettled refugees may have a heightened sensitivity toinjustices in the receiving society or a fear or lack of trust of


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‘‘’’

If the (social) ‘climate’ isnot right, the resettlement

is so much harder. Resettlement worker




‘‘’’

When people welcome youand you feel good, youshare your own ideas.

Resettled refugee

those in positions of authority (such as teachers or lawenforcement officers). These factors may have an impact onthe extent to which they feel safe, on their capacity to formrelationships within the receiving society, and on theirinteractions with key systems such as schools and socialservice authorities.

Limited proficiency in the language of the receiving society isanother significant factor.

Also influential are conditions in the receiving society,including:—the extent to which there are communities with an interest

in human rights, refugee issues and democracy building(e.g. faith-based communities, human rights groups);

—the existence of established ethno-cultural communitiesand their capacity to contribute to building a welcomingand hospitable environment;

—existing legislative frameworks and policies and programsfor managing cultural diversity;

—the extent of understanding at community andgovernmental levels of the reasons for resettled refugeesleaving their countries-of-origin;

—the extent to which cultural and racial diversity andtolerance is promoted at government and communitylevels;

➔ Media, community and governmental attitudes

IN MOST societies there is adiverse range of viewsabout refugee issues at thegovernmental andcommunity levels.

When they are givenpractical expression inindividual interactions andgovernmental andinstitutional practices or inthe media, negativeattitudes can make resettledrefugees feel unwelcome inthe receiving society.

Racism and xenophobiaare a particular concern inthis regard. As well ascompromising the safety ofresettled refugees, racismand xenophobia maycontribute to mental healthproblems such as anxietyand depression; affectaccess to integrationresources (such as housingand employment); and

hamper their participation inthe receiving society1.

There are a number offactors which maycontribute to indifference orhostility toward resettledrefugees, and which mayneed to be managed bygovernments and otherswith an interest in refugeeresettlement and humanrights. Among these are:• a general antipathy toward

migration, held in thebelief that refugees andimmigrants will competefor scarce resources orthreaten the way of life ofthe receiving country. Thisis a particular concern forthose resettled refugeeswhose racial features orcultural and religiouspractices distinguish themfrom the dominant culture;

• perceptions that resettled

refugees are offered bettergovernment support thanis available to nationals;

• public confusion aboutwho refugees are and thenature of the refugeeexperience. Negativeattitudes toward asylumseekers may also beextended to resettledrefugees. The questioningof the motives andcredibility of asylumseekers can serve as apainful reminder ofresettled refugees’ ownexperiences of not beingbelieved or thoughtworthy of protection.Perceptions that asylumseekers are being treatedunjustly can underminetheir faith in thecompassion of thereceiving society.

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—attitudes toward migration and resettlement at communityand governmental levels;

—the approach taken by the media in the receiving society;—the extent of support for the protection and promotion of

human rights at both community and governmental levels;—the extent to which the country has a tradition of making

newcomers welcome.

Issues to consider in facilitating thedevelopment of hospitable communities

The importance of partnership and local engagement

Government has an important role in fostering hospitality bysetting overall legislative and planning frameworks andproviding funding to support capacity building activities in therefugee and wider communities.



However, the integration of resettled refugees occurs at ahighly localised level in the communities, workplaces andinstitutions of the receiving society. The experience ofresettlement countries is that it is critical to engage the co-operation and involvement of key local constituencies, inparticular:—employers and labour unions;—local neighbourhoods;—faith-based communities;—school communities;—local governments (in some countries referred to as

authorities or municipalities);—ethno-cultural groups and services;—the media; —human rights organisations.

Community engagement is important not only for extendinghospitality to newcomers, but because it can help to build abasis of understanding and support for refugee resettlement.

Managing conflicting cultural practices

As indicated above, it is important that resettled refugees areencouraged to retain their culture-of-origin. Nevertheless theremay be instances where differences in cultural practicesbetween resettled refugees and the wider community raisecause for concern or conflict: —Certain cultural practices may be considered either life- or

health-threatening or be abhorrent to the receiving country.For instance, in some countries, laws to prohibit the practiceof female genital mutilation have been introduced on thesegrounds (see Chapter 3.2).

—Certain cultural practices may be in the interests of somemembers of refugee communities, but may be consideredby the receiving society to be contrary to the interests ofothers. For example, child discipline practices in somerefugee communities may be considered harsh inresettlement countries. Similarly, some refugee sourcecountries have views about gender relations which would beregarded in receiving societies as placing women at socialand economic disadvantage.

—Some practices may depart so much from the ‘norms’ of thereceiving society that they place resettled refugees in aposition where the resulting conflict or isolation from thereceiving society is not in their interests.

How conflicts of this nature are managed will depend both onthe issue concerned and on the receiving country. As indicated


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elsewhere in this Handbook, integration is a two-way street,with resettled refugees adapting to the ways of their newcountry and receiving societies learning about and adapting tothe practices of refugee communities. Consistent with thisnotion, most receiving societies manage conflicting culturalpractices with a continuum of strategies, encompassing: —educating the wider community to increase tolerance and to

accommodate the values, beliefs and practices of newcomers;—mediation and bridge building between the refugee and

wider communities; —awareness raising and education in refugee communities.

Initiatives to support the developmentof hospitable communities

Engaging the wider community

In many countries community based groups and institutions(such as faith-based communities and unions) have played animportant part in fostering welcoming and hospitality by:—developing awareness raising activities and strategies to

combat racism and xenophobia among their constituenciesand in the wider community;

—fostering the participation of refugees in local institutionsand organisations such as schools, clubs, associations andplaces of worship;

—ensuring that resettled refugees are represented inadministrative and decision-making positions. For example,labour unions in a number of countries have sought toencourage the active participation of refugees andimmigrants;

—taking measures to ensure that local institutions andorganisations are responsive to resettled refugees;

—supporting cultural events such as festivals and special days;—contributing to volunteer social support and sponsorship

programs.


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• A Danish local authority has fundedrefugee subscriptions or memberships tojoin local sporting clubs and communitygardens (allotments). This scheme enablesresettled refugees to meet with Danes witha common interest on equal terms.

• In the Shannon area in Ireland, refugeesvisit schools and local rural associationsto talk about their past experiences,giving many Irish people their firstexperience of meeting people fromdifferent cultural and ethnic origins.

Promoting social inclusion and understanding in Denmark and Ireland


CANADA has a long historyof community participationin refugee resettlement, withthe people of Canada beingawarded the NansenRefugee Award in 1996, inrecognition of theirhumanitarian andcompassionate response torefugees.

This involvement isdemonstrated in the work ofthe Manitoba Inter-faithImmigration Council, whichwas formally established in1968 to provide social andmoral support tonewcomers. This work isundertaken by bothvolunteers and paid staff,many of whom arethemselves immigrants orformer refugees.Membership of the Councilis open to all faith groups,with the Anglican, Baha’i,Hindu, Jewish, Lutheran,Mennonite, Muslim,Presbyterian, RomanCatholic, Sikh and UnitedChurch faiths currentlybeing represented.

The Council providesorientation, settlementsupport and housing toresettled refugees as well asinformation on, and referralto, health care and otherservices. Through avolunteer program, resettledrefugees are offeredfriendship, informallanguage training and basicpractical support and arelinked with other social andrecreational activities inManitoba.

In the Saskatoon area, acoalition of volunteers workswith newcomers to educate,enable and equip localresidents to respond to theneeds and concerns ofrefugees. The Coalition hasestablished a drop-in centreproviding information tonewcomers and facilitatingtheir connections with thebroader Saskatooncommunity. The drop-incentre provides employmentassistance, opportunities forsocial interaction and bothformal and informallanguage learning activities.

The Coalition alsoprovides professionaldevelopment to health,teaching and other front-lineworkers on issues affectingrefugees, such as the impactof torture and trauma.Through alliances with othergovernment and non-government services, ithelps to ensure thatimportant programs andsystems, such as schoolsand employment servicesare responsive to the needsof newcomers.

Regular public andcommunity informationevents are held to celebratethe contributions of bothnewcomers and volunteersand to raise awareness ofglobal refugee issues as wellas those facing refugeesresettling in Canada.

Both the Council and theCoalition play an active rolein supporting Canada’sprivate sponsorship

program (see p. 89) bypromoting the program intheir communities andoffering training and supportto sponsors.

The success of both thesenetworks has been duelargely to their capacity toengage broader communityconstituencies in their work.While both receive somefunding from governmentand non-governmentsources, much of their workcontinues to be undertakenby volunteers. Theseconstituencies bring awealth of human capital andother resources to the taskof refugee sponsorship andresettlement and provide adirect link between resettledrefugees and the widercommunity.

Through their personalcontact with refugees,citizens gain an appreciationof the experiences andcultures of resettledrefugees. This in turn helpsto foster tolerance andunderstanding, with benefitsfor both resettled refugeesand their new communities.The fact that both theCoalition and the Councilhave broad and informedconstituencies alsostrengthens their capacity tocontribute to governmentpolicy and to play anadvocacy role on refugeeresettlement issues whenrequired.

Community involvement in refugee resettlement in Canada




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Capacity building in ethnic communities

In Chapter 2.3 some of the ways in which receiving countriescan support the development of ethno-cultural communities,and, in particular, ethno-cultural organisations and services, forthe purpose of enhancing social support for resettled refugees,are explored.

These communities and their organisations also have animportant role in building hospitable and welcomingcommunities. They can:—undertake public advocacy and awareness raising activities

to promote understanding of refugee communities;—act as mediators in the event of cultural conflicts between

refugee communities and the receiving society;—support refugees to become involved in decision making at

the workplace, community and broader political levels;—provide cultural advice to governments, service providers

and other institutions so that they are able to respondsensitively to resettled refugees;

—support the development of programs and facilities for newarrivals to promote cultural retention and identification (e.g.support groups, cultural events, community arts projects,ethnic community centres and places of worship, ethnic radioand television programs, ethnic newspapers and newsletters);

—provide opportunities for civic participation. In this respectthey provide a relatively ‘safe’ context in which resettledrefugees can gain confidence and skills in participatoryprocesses. Lessons learned in these contexts can betransferred to their participation in forums in the widercommunity;

—enable refugee communities to participate on a more equalfooting in the receiving society through collective action.

Within refugee communities leadership styles and dynamicsmay have developed which were functional in persecutory andcorrupt regimes (e.g. mistrust, suspicion, leadership gate-keeping), but which work against facilitating broadparticipation in receiving societies. Capacity building initiativescan help to address this.


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‘‘

’’

My neighbours are verykind people. One day I was

very sick, I had a pain inmy kidneys, so myhusband asked the

neighbours for help. Notonly they called for a

doctor, but they also paidhim because we didn’thave enough money.

Resettled refugee

Fosteringhospitality inemergingcountries ofresettlement

THE experience ofemerging countries ofresettlement is thatpriority should be givento securing the supportof community leadersand ‘opinion setters’.

In Benin, for example,once local sites had beenselected, informationsessions were held withdistrict and traditionalchiefs, mayors andneighbourhood leaderswith the aim ofpromoting tolerance andunderstanding of refugeeissues as well as seekingtheir collaboration andsupport.

Working with the media

The media has a powerful role in shaping community attitudesto a range of issues, among them refugee resettlement2. In anumber of countries, integration personnel have workedclosely with the media with a view to enhancing broadercommunity understanding of the refugee experience and to

➔ Key messages to convey when communicatingwith receiving communities and the media

THE TONE and keymessages communicated tothe media and receivingcommunities will need to betailored to the countryconcerned.

Consider:• placing resettlement in a

global context,demonstrating that thereceiving country is one ofa number of countriessharing the global refugeeburden;

• emphasising that refugeeswere compelled to leavetheir home countries fortheir own safety;

• providing information onthe procedures used bythe UNHCR and thereceiving country to selectresettled refugees. Thiswill help to counter the

erroneous view thatresettled refugees areprimarily ‘economicmigrants’ and providereassurance that carefulhealth and characterchecks are undertaken;

• emphasising what thecountry can offer resettledrefugees (e.g. hospitality,freedom from persecution);

• explaining what supportsare available to resettledrefugees to help counterperceptions that resettledrefugees are offeredpreferential treatment overnationals;

• emphasising the benefitsthat resettled refugeesoffer to receiving societies.Consider using examplesof prominent refugees aswell as international

research on the social andeconomic benefits ofmigration andresettlement (seeChapters 1.1 and 1.2);

• providing relevant countrybackground information(see p. ix for sources);

• providing information onhow individuals andcommunities cancontribute to refugeeresettlement.

While these messages areconcerned specifically withrefugee resettlement,consideration may also needto be given to addressingbroader issues such aschallenging myths aboutcertain cultures orquestioning racialstereotypes.




Equally, however, the media can reflect negative attitudes heldin some sections of the wider community, which may not onlyfuel anti-refugee sentiment, but also generate feelings of fearand anxiety among resettled refugees. As their primary sourceof information in the early resettlement period, the media willhave a powerful influence on resettled refugees’ perceptions ofthe receiving society and the extent to which they are welcomein it. This is an important factor to bear in mind when workingwith the media and highlights the need for integrationpersonnel to monitor media reporting of refugee issues.

raising awareness about the benefits of resettlement for bothresettled refugees and the receiving society.

The experience of resettlement countries is that while it is notpossible to control the way in which the media covers refugeeissues, those supporting integration at both governmental andcommunity levels can be prepared by:—having accurate, succinct information prepared in advance

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‘‘’’

It’s hard to overcome thesense that people see youas handicapped because ofyour refugee backgroundand you constantly feelthat you have to prove

who you are.Resettled refugee

➔ Working with the media to promote a welcoming andhospitable environment for resettled refugees

THINK ABOUT:• cultivating relationships

with journalists;• strategies to build the

capacity of those in keyintegration roles at boththe governmental andcommunity levels to workeffectively with the media(e.g. providing training,developing resourcemanuals);

• securing the co-operationof prominent or respectedindividuals to act as‘spokespeople’ for refugeeresettlement (e.g. by

preparing opinion pieceson refugee resettlementfor daily newspapers;participating in radio andtelevision interviews);

• monitoring newspaper‘letters-to-the-editor’sections and talk-backradio for opportunities topromote refugeeresettlement or countererroneous views;

• approaching traininginstitutions to haverefugee issues addressedin undergraduate curriculaand professional

development courses forjournalists;

• using popular media suchas women’s magazinesand television serials tocommunicate aboutrefugee issues;

• providing grants tosupport the developmentof documentaries, filmsand drama addressingrefugee issues;

• establishing awards torecognise excellence inreporting on refugee andresettlement issues.

to make available to the media. In some countries formalmedia kits have been developed;

—thinking carefully before soliciting media coverage ofspecific refugee intakes, particularly in emerging countrieswhere the novelty value of resettlement may mean that itattracts intense interest. Resettled refugees themselves donot always welcome this coverage, particularly in countrieswith relatively small refugee intakes where they may bereadily identified. New arrivals are ill-equipped to representthemselves in the media, especially if they are not fluent inthe language of the receiving country. There is also the riskthat any small problems which subsequently emerge willattract intense and possibly sensationalised media coverageand compromise long term government and communitysupport;

—developing a media strategy. This is particularly important atthe governmental level. Typically this involves establishing acommittee or working group of relevant governmentministries and the identification of key personnel to serve asmedia spokespeople. To ensure consistency incommunication with the media, it is wise to secureagreement on key messages. Regular monitoring of thestrategy will enable it to be adjusted in response to changingcircumstances.

➔ Issues to be aware of in media reporting of refugee issues

JOURNALISTS are oftenworking under tight timelines and are under pressureto prepare stories which are‘newsworthy’. Some mayreflect negative attitudesheld in the receivingcommunity, or may beunder pressure from mediaowners or editors to presentrefugee issues in a certainway. This may lead to:• sensationalist reporting of

refugee related issues,often provided without awider context;

• inaccurate and negativestereotyping of ethnicminorities;

• attributing problems inrefugee communities toethnicity without regardfor other factors such asstructural unemployment,social exclusion or pastexperiences3.

Positive reporting,meanwhile, may often berelegated to ‘humaninterest’ segments focusingon cultural contributionssuch as ethnic foods, music,costumes and festivals.While these are important,they are often emphasisedat the expense of theeconomic, civic andintellectual contributionsmade by resettled refugees.




MANY COUNTRIES OF resettlement have supportedethno-cultural communities to develop ethnic media,such as radio and television stations or programs andnewspapers and magazines.

These are an important source of information aboutevents in other countries, promote cultural retention andprovide an avenue for resettled refugees to learn abouttheir rights and the resources available to them in thereceiving country, in their own language.

➔ Understanding and welcomingthrough ethnic media

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• The popular Australiandrama series Neighboursfeatured several episodeswhere child cast membersoffered support to arefugee. In the context ofthis relationship the showexplored conditions in thecharacter’s country-of-origin, his reasons forflight and his conditionedfear of authorities.

• Similarly, the Britishpolice drama The Bill

screened episodesexploring racialharassment of Kosovarefugees and thedilemmas facing thoseunable to have theirprofessional qualificationsrecognised in thereceiving society.

• Women’s magazines in anumber of countries haverun articles based on‘case studies’ of refugeewomen.

These approaches not onlyreach a wider audience butalso enable issues, mythsand prejudices to beexplored at a deeper andmore personal level.Integration personnel canplay a role in encouragingtelevision, radio andmagazine producers toaddress resettlement issuesand can provide relevantresearch and backgroundmaterials

Using popular media

Building capacity at the governmental level

Resettlement countries have implemented a number ofinitiatives to ensure that government services and programsare responsive to refugee and immigrant communities. Amongthese are:—planning documents or strategies which reflect a formal

government commitment to integration and/or culturaldiversity and define the ways in which this will beimplemented across government. Examples includeAustralia’s New Agenda for a Multicultural Australia andSweden’s Integration Policy;

—advisory committees at senior government levels to assist inthe planning, implementation and monitoring of integrationand the acceptance of diversity. In many countries thesecommittees include representation from refugee andimmigrant communities;

INTEGRATIONIN PRACTICE

Building mediaskills in Britain

The British nationallottery periodicallyengages a media adviserto provide training toethno-culturalorganisations and non-governmentorganisations to developskills in presenting tothe media. Its focus is onpromoting positiveimages of refugees andrefugee issues.

—special policy and program units within governmentdepartments to ensure that the policies and activities ofgovernment are responsive to the needs of refugee andimmigrant communities. In some cases, these units mayalso provide technical support and assistance togovernmental officers involved in service delivery (e.g. manypolice departments have ethnic liaison units). In emergingcountries, or countries with small refugee intakes, analternative may be to identify and support ‘integrationexperts’ within relevant government ministries;

Refugee voicein Sweden



—initiatives to ensure that people from refugee and immigrantbackgrounds are represented in the public sector work force(e.g. equal opportunity programs, internships). Thesedemonstrate the receiving society’s commitment to theinclusion of resettled refugees (as well as providingemployment opportunities and an avenue for refugees tocontribute);

—legislation to promote equal opportunity among or preventdiscrimination against individuals on the grounds of theirrace, ethnicity, religion or country-of-origin. Typically thislegislation is concerned with access to a wide range ofresources, including public places, vehicles, employment,housing, goods and services, education and land. In somecountries, particular rights of refugees and immigrants areenshrined in legislation. For example in the USA the CivilRights Act establishes the right of people with limitedlanguage proficiency to an interpreter when accessingfederally funded services. A number of countries have alsointroduced legislation to promote racial and religioustolerance and prevent racism and xenophobia. Commonly,legislation in these areas also provides for theestablishment of an independent body to investigateindividual breaches of the legislation, review othergovernment legislation to ensure compliance, and conductawareness raising activities;

—becoming signatories to key international instruments topromote and protect human rights. Others have alsoestablished bodies to monitor government legislation, andactivities to ensure that human rights are observed at thedomestic level. Examples include Australia’s Human Rightsand Equal Opportunity Commission and New Zealand’sHuman Rights Commissioner;

—programs to promote wider understanding of resettlementand global refugee issues, and the value of cultural diversityand/or to challenge negative community attitudes towardmigration and resettlement. These have used a variety ofstrategies, among them television and radio advertisements,posters and pamphlets, resource materials and websites.



THE Municipality ofLulea in Sweden hasestablished animmigrant councilthrough which refugeesand immigrants canhave their say. Theirmeetings are attendedby local commissionersand its proposals andcomments aresubmitted to the fullcouncil executive.

Permanent residency and citizenship provisions

Security of residency and legal equality in the receiving countryis especially important in the early resettlement period.Recognising this, most countries grant resettled refugeespermanent residence and confer upon them most of the samerights and responsibilities as nationals. Common exceptions arethe right to hold a passport, to vote, to be employed in certainpublic sector positions or to hold public office.

➔ How does legislation contributeto creating a welcoming andhospitable community?

LEGISLATION can serve as an effective deterrent, setstandards for appropriate behaviour and provideresettled refugees with recourse in the event that theyare subject to unfair treatment.

Legislation also has important symbolic value, being apractical expression of the receiving society’scommitment to the protection and promotion of the rightsof resettled refugees and demonstrating its abhorrence ofdiscrimination and violence against them. The experienceof established countries of resettlement, however, is thatlegislation is more likely to be effective if complementedby community education and other initiatives.

If resettled refugees are to have recourse to remediesprovided by legislation, it is important that these areaccessible (for example, through the simplification ofprocedures, translated materials, and individual supportto access remedies).

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Informingthe community

EACH YEAR theAustralian governmentproduces a bookletdocumenting thegovernment’s responseto refugee andhumanitarian issues.The booklet describesthe Australianresettlement program inthe context of the globalrefugee issue and othermeasures being adoptedby the government topromote refugeeprotection.

The process of becoming a citizen of the receiving society is animportant practical and symbolic milestone in the integrationprocess, particularly given that resettled refugees have lostcitizenship of their countries-of-origin. It affirms that resettledrefugees ‘belong’ in the receiving society and allows them fullparticipation in political life. Importantly, it accords them theright to consular protection in the event that they encounterdifficulties while overseas and to travel on the passport of thereceiving country.

The process of securing citizenship also allows resettledrefugees to state formally their obligations to the receivingsociety.

At the same time, however, some resettled refugees mayexperience some ambivalence about the process of becoming acitizen, particularly if they hold hopes that circumstances in theircountries-of-origin will one day change to allow their safe return.

Significant factors to consider in relation to citizenship are:—residency requirements. While these currently range from

between two to eight years in countries of resettlement,there is a general consensus that, for the reasons above, it isin the best interests of refugees and receiving countries to





AS PART of theircommitment to welcomingrefugees and immigrants tofull participation in theirsocieties both Australia andCanada actively promote,support and facilitate theprocess of citizenship.Both countries:• have relatively short

residency requirementsfor eligibility forcitizenship, this beingthree years in Canadaand two years inAustralia;

• exempt refugee andimmigrant elders from thelanguage requirements ofcitizenship;

• actively promotecitizenship throughcommunity campaignsand other governmentfunded programs forrefugees and immigrants,including orientationprograms provided priorto and following arrival;

• use the process ofbecoming a citizen as anopportunity to extend

welcome to newcomers.For example, Canada’srecent Welcome Homecampaign to promotecitizenship welcomednewcomers into theCanadian family withmessages from schoolchildren. In Australia, atcitizenship ceremonies,new citizens are given anAustralian native plantand information on howthey can participate inAustralian civic society.

Citizenship in Australia and Canada

enable them to seek citizenship as early as possible in theresettlement process;

—citizenship requirements. In almost all countries, resettledrefugees (like other migrants) are obliged to demonstratethat they are of good character. In some countries they arealso required to be fluent in the language of the receivingcountry and to complete either a written or oral testdemonstrating their understanding of their rights andobligations as citizens. The stringency of these requirementsvaries between countries and will clearly influence how soonafter arrival resettled refugees can apply for citizenship. Insome countries, more flexible arrangements are made forrefugee elders, recognising that they face particulardifficulties in acquiring a new language (see Chapter 3.4).

PLANNING FOR ALL

PART 3


COMMUNITY


PART 2

229


PART 1

PROMOTING WELCOMING ANDHOSPITABLE COMMUNITIES

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A SOUND INTEGRATION PROGRAM WOULD:

• have an overall framework for implementing and monitoring integrationand promoting diversity across society;

• have legislative frameworks in place to promote equal opportunity, preventdiscrimination and promote racial and religious tolerance;

• have measures in place to ensure that human rights are observed;• involve resettled refugees in the planning and monitoring of integration

and cultural diversity programs and strategies;• have strategies in place to engage employers, labour unions, and local

communities (in particular, faith-based communities and human rightsorganisations) in building hospitable communities;

• have measures in place to raise community awareness and understandingof, and support for, refugee resettlement;

• have measures in place to strengthen ethno-cultural communities and tobuild their capacity to provide opportunities for new arrivals to participatein cultural and religious activities and to serve as a bridge between refugeecommunities and the receiving society;

• offer resettled refugees permanent residence and its associated rights andresponsibilities (including the right to travel) and enable them to seekcitizenship at the earliest possible stage.



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