Spatial Opportunities for Refugee Integration

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Spatial Opportunities for Refugee Integration

Makki, Mona R

URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10429/2504

Date: 2023-10-16

Abstract:

An estimated 103 million people were forcibly displaced by mid-2022, “as a result of persecution, conflict, violence, human rights violations or events seriously disturbing public order” (UNHCR, 2022). The traumatic life of a refugee, from the beginning stages of displacement to the period of temporary settlement and beyond, makes resettlement in a new country challenging. Refugees resettling in Canada are faced with a new set of uncertainties: How will they navigate a new cultural and social system? Where are they to live and work? Will they be accepted into society? This study adopts an intersubjective/contextual framework to investigate the issue of refugee resettlement and aims to understand the spatial experiences of refugees during the process of integration in Canadian society. Through the identification of available resettlement programs in Canada, this study further investigates how the field of architecture can improve refugee experiences. The City of Windsor, Ontario is the focus of this study and was chosen due to its unique location as a international border city and major commercial corridor, as well as its large immigrant population and history of refugee resettlement. The conceptual framework developed by Ager & Strang (2008) distinguishes ten core domains of integration which are used as a tool of analysis in this study. A qualitative/mixed methodology approach was used to understand refugee experiences and identify specific needs. First-hand accounts of Syrian refugees were a central tool in shaping the outcomes of the study. Other methods included the analysis and mapping of available refugee resettlement services in the City of Windsor. Further, successful refugee integration efforts, like those in Winnipeg, Manitoba, were analyzed to form a clearer understanding of how federal and provincial policies can be leveraged to assist in the integration and housing of refugees. Findings from the research guided the proposal of an architectural and urban intervention for recently resettled refugees in the City of Windsor. By addressing the specific needs of refugees, the design proposal focuses on the domains of integration which are currently lacking in the city: Social bridges (the social connection between refugees), housing, education, and health (Ager & Strang, 2008). The proposed intervention is to be located within Windsor’s city center, where majority of the refugee resettlement services exist, and near ethnic enclaves that are frequented by large immigrant populations. Trauma-informed and culturally sensitive design practices were used to ensure that the design addresses both physical/tangible and social aspects of integration, which lead to self-sufficiency, economic independence, and psycho-social belonging.

Description:

By mid-2022, the UNHCR determined 103 million people had been forcibly displaced worldwide. Of these, 32.5 million are refugees; people that flee outside the borders of their country to find safety. Canada has a long history of refuge and has pledged to increase their resettlement efforts in the coming years. This pledge should prompt researchers and practitioners of all disciplines to analyze how their systems and processes support, or hinder, refugee integration into Canadian society. As Canada continues to resettle more refugees, the country and its citizens must be prepared to accommodate and support specific refugee needs to ensure that they pursue successful and fulfilled lives. This thesis utilizes an intersubjective and contextual framework to investigate the experiences of refugees throughout their resettlement in Canada. The goal of this effort is to understand the gaps in refugee resettlement efforts, and how these gaps may be addressed spatially. Architectural interventions will be proposed to promote successful refugee integration into Canadian society and culture. This thesis is framed around five concepts: resettlement, integration, self-sufficiency & economic independence, psycho-social belonging, and housing preparedness. Ager and Strang’s model for refugee integration (2008) was key in informing this thesis. Rather than proposing a new framework, Ager and Strang’s model is accepted in this thesis as a good understanding of refugee needs and an appropriate measure of successful integration. This model outlines ten domains which promote physical and tangible aspects of integration (self-sufficiency), and the social and intangible aspects of integration (psycho-social wellbeing). The concept of dwelling as it relates to refugee integration is informed by numerous architectural case studies, like the work of 546 Architecture who designed Welcome Place, a refugee reception center in Winnipeg, and ISSofBC, who have spearheaded a new model for refugee integration through their LEED certified facility in Vancouver, BC. Quantitative data sourced from Statistics Canada and other government sources were used to support the claims of unaffordable housing and refugee resettlement. Qualitative data from interviews confirmed that refugee’s greatest struggle while resettling in the context of Windsor, Ontario, is finding appropriate and affordable housing. These interviews also revealed socio-cultural habits of Syrian refugees who resettled in Windsor from 2015-2016. This thesis aims to address the primary research question: How can architecture aid in the integration of refugees into society? The investigations which were used to study this question are based on the understanding that integration is a desirable outcome and is measured by the core domains of the integration model (Ager & Strang, 2008). Since this thesis utilizes a contextual approach, the following question was derived: What are the opportunities for intervention in the process of refugee resettlement to Windsor, ON? The goal of these investigations is to propose a contextually-sensitive architectural intervention in the City of Windsor which is informed by literature and first-hand refugee experiences. This intervention will promote the integration of refugees into society by fulfilling a refugee’s need for self-sufficiency, economic independence, and psycho-social belonging. Spatial design which is contextually-driven and informed by user feedback has the ability to improve the lives of the users that inhabit them. This thesis advocates for the thoughtful design of spaces as a means for suffering populations to improve their overall quality of life. In this particular thesis, the users are refugees which have specific needs and suffer from many external hardships that architecture cannot directly address but can indirectly improve on. For example, architecture can directly support tangible aspects of integration by providing accommodating and affordable housing for the immediate shelter of refugees during their first few weeks in Canada. Further, architecture can support the intangible aspects of integration by creating space that allows for social programming. By focusing efforts on both physical and social needs, refugees will achieve self-sufficiency and psycho-social belonging more seamlessly than if these efforts were not provided. The investigations were performed using a mixed-method approach. Mapping was used not only as a tool to analyze quantitative data, but also as a means to understand the qualitative aspects of the chosen site. Interviews of refugee families and community coordinators were conducted to gain a better understanding of refugee experiences and gaps in refugee resettlement efforts. These types of investigations uncovered specific struggles which were tied to the Windsor context such as housing affordability, access to mobility, and refugee isolation. Opposing views may argue that refugees have resettled into Canadian society successfully in previous years. This view is supported by the data which proves that refugees over the span of 5 years tend to maintain employment and find better housing (Statistics Canada). While the long-term trajectory of refugees in Canada is positive, the focus of this thesis is on the initial phase of resettlement, the first year, when refugees are in their most vulnerable state. The greatest obstacle in the research of this study was building trust with the refugee population and the government-funded resettlement organizations which serve refugees. Their hesitancy in providing information resulted in a greater amount of assumption by the researcher to fill in the gaps. These assumptions, while informed by literature and precedent, can be challenged. Further, the design proposal and findings are influenced by the interviews done in the community. Although this information is valuable, only two interviews were completed; one from a Syrian refugee and one from a community organizer who regularly aided Syrian refugees from 2015-2016. The design proposal would have benefited from the completion of multiple interviews. The process and findings of this study are valuable to the discipline of architecture because they promote the understanding that architecture impacts humans on more than just a physical level. Architecture can be a catalyst for change and can improve the psycho-social relations of people to themselves, to others, and to their surroundings.

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