He arrived in Canada at 16, a Somali seeking asylum, and now Ahmed Hussen is the country’s Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship. Join this lawyer, refugee and national leader on Friday 31 August, at UNSW’s Kaldor Centre for International Refugee Law, to hear his singular insights into Canada’s efforts to successfully integrate new citizens.
Hussen will be in Australia for official meetings, and in this special public presentation, co-hosted by the Kaldor Centre and the Consulate General of Canada, Hussen will discuss Canada’s 'managed immigration model'.
Canada’s approach is based on the principle of 'mutual obligations for new immigrants and Canadian society'. Its ultimate goal is for immigrants to fully participate in the economic, social, cultural and political life of Canada. Hussen will also talk about his department’s responses to the need for specialised settlement services for refugees, who often experience multiple and complex barriers to integration due to their past traumas. Targeted interventions are aimed at both immediate assistance and improving the long-term integration outcomes of this vulnerable group.
The Government of Canada sets annual immigration levels, selects immigrants, supports their settlement in the early years after arrival, facilitates their acquisition of Canadian citizenship and assists with long-term integration. Through its Settlement Program, which provides free support to all immigrants and refugees, Canada strives to eliminate barriers to integration and maximise immigrants’ participation and contribution to the Canadian economy and to their communities. Recently arrived immigrants are equally expected to take ownership of their settlement and integration by working, accessing support and resources, making social connections within their communities, and observing Canadian laws that bind Canada together as a nation.
A transcript of the presentation is available here.
