Refugees, immigrants in poverty: report

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Refugee John Chol says he, his mother and his three siblings were placed in a two-bedroom apartment. (BORIS.MINKEVICH@FREEPRESS.MB.CA)

John Chol was looking forward to escaping the violence in Sudan and starting a new life with a better standard of living when his family came to Canada as refugees about five years ago.

Instead, Chol said while they did escape the violence, his mother and he and his three siblings instead joined the ranks of those living in poverty.

"I didn't choose to leave my country," said Chol, who was six when his father became a victim of the violence in their home country and was 13 when he came to Canada.

"We left because of the safety factors... but here we were put in a two-bedroom apartment. We couldn't understand why we would all have to stay in a two-bedroom apartment."

Chol said to help make ends meet, his older brother had to leave school to work.

According to a new Poverty Barometer report by the Social Planning Council of Winnipeg, Chol's story isn't unique.

And Marty Dolin, executive director of Manitoba Interfaith Immigration Council's Welcome Place, accuses the federal government of helping keep immigrants in poverty.

Dolin said the report recommends the federal government scrap the right of permanent residence fee -- which currently is $490 for immigrants, but is waived for refugees -- and repayment of refugee transportation loans, which for some families amount to thousands of dollars. For the Chol family, it meant about $14,000.

Dolin said immigrants already spend about 60 to 70 per cent of their income on housing costs and Canada is also the only country in the world that charges interest on the transportation loans.

"The policy of the government of Canada ensures refugees will be in poverty for their first year," Dolin said at a news conference.

"Many are shocked by what they have to pay. Some said if they'd known, they would have stayed in the (refugee) camp.

"It is absolutely unconscionable and shameful... it makes me shameful to be a Canadian."

A federal immigration spokeswoman said currently refugees owe $33.9 million in transportation loans at an interest rate of 1.75 per cent.

Sid Frankel, who released the council's report, said census data show about one-third of children, or 31.9 per cent, in recent immigrant families in Manitoba live in poverty.

Frankel said the numbers in Winnipeg are even worse with almost 40 per cent of children in recent immigrant families living in poverty.

"Some might say that the poverty of immigrant children is short-lived and not an issue because only recent immigrants have high poverty rates," he said.

"But this ignores the fact that even short spells of poverty can cause lifelong damage."

He said the report recommends the province include targets and timelines in its new poverty-reduction strategy announced earlier this year.

He said it is important because currently Manitoba's immigration push attracts more than 11,000 immigrants per year with the number expected to reach 20,000 annually by 2016.

Family Services and Housing Minister Gord Mackintosh said he'll look to see if there's something more needed for immigrants in the poverty strategy. "We recognize the need," he said.

But Mackintosh said the province has already bolstered courses inEnglish as a second language, the neighbourhood settlement program, and last month announced 50 housing units specifically for new Canadians.

Liberal leader Jon Gerrard, who attended the news conference, said "there needs to be a much more effective transitioning approach for refugees.

"It's a frustration for new immigrants. What I've seen is the work ethic of new immigrants is incredible, but we need to help them more with the transition."

kevin.rollason@freepress.mb.ca

Poverty Barometer highlights:

almost one-third of children in recent immigrant families live in poverty in Manitoba

almost 40 per cent of children in recent immigrant families live in poverty in Winnipeg

more than 47,000 immigrants, or four per cent of the province's population, came here between 2002 and 2007

while the unemployment rate for Canadian-born workers improved to three per cent from 3.2 per cent in 2007, the rate for recent immigrants rose to 8.8 per cent from 6.8 per cent.

-- Source: Social Planning Council of Winnipeg's Poverty Barometer

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition October 22, 2009 A8