Yukon's first Syrian refugee family, 1 year later
'One year alone is not enough for people to be completely independent,' says Yukon Cares founder
It's been one year since Yukon's first Syrian refugee family of 11 arrived, and the head of the sponsor group says the family is still working to become fully settled.
"We're going through a situation [that] most other sponsor groups are going through in Canada, where they find that one year alone is not enough for people to be completely independent," said Raquel De Queiroz, founder of Yukon Cares, a grassroots refugee sponsorship organization that was created as a response to the Syrian refugee crisis.
De Queiroz says that while members of the Aarafat family have the freedom to make their own decisions, there are still barriers to overcome.
"We've been working on that transition right now because the adults are not fully employable because of the language barrier," said de Queiroz. She says the adults still require a translator to communicate.
This is one of the biggest challenges says de Queiroz. The group has been working on "kinks in the transition" for the past few months, on how to manage the upcoming year. They are holding meetings and talking to the community.
De Queiroz predicted last year it would be a two-year process to get the Aarafat family settled. The federal government provided income support for the first six months, while Yukon Cares was to cover the rest.
'Also a proud moment for us'
Still, there has been a lot of progress, especially with the Aarafat children, says de Queiroz.
"The children are thriving immensely," she said. "It's great to have a conversation in English especially with the children."
The girls are highly motivated in school and even received awards this past year. Hassan, the oldest boy in the family, has started taking full-time classes at Yukon College to become a pharmacist. Ishmael, the second oldest, has been training as a barber. The children are now all fluent in English, says de Queiroz.
"I feel a little bit maternal. That the kids have grown up and you kind of have to let go. It's also a proud moment for us," de Quieroz said.
The group has submitted several applications to welcome more refugees to the Yukon, but de Queiroz says the process has been slow.
"The federal government has really slowed down," she said. "We've had one of them for, I'd say, about four to six months, and we haven't even heard from the government yet, even to acknowledge that they received the application."
De Queiroz says she found U.S. President Donald Trump's travel ban this past weekend "very discouraging" but not surprising. She also took note of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's response on Twitter — and hopes he'll be held accountable.
To those fleeing persecution, terror & war, Canadians will welcome you, regardless of your faith. Diversity is our strength <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WelcomeToCanada?src=hash">#WelcomeToCanada</a>
—@JustinTrudeau"Yeah, well I hope that those words translate into action on the ground, because sponsoring groups across Canada are seeing a lot of slowness," de Queiroz said.
Latin Dance Fundraiser
Yukon Cares is hosting a one year anniversary event this Saturday in Whitehorse, to raise money. The Latin Dance fundraiser is a 19+ event at Mount McIntyre Recreation Centre, and tickets will be available at Winterlong Brewing Co. and Midnight Sun Coffee Roasters.
All proceeds will go to Yukon Cares, and people are also able to donate online.
with files from Sandi Coleman