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Syrian Refugees: British Columbia and Food Banks

syrian refugees: Read the full report from the Immigrant Services Society of B.C. Refugee settlement organizations across the country have reported similar challenges and successes for the nearly 52,000 Syrian refugees who arrived in Canada between October 2015 and February 2018, according to CTV. More than half of those surveyed depend on food banks at least once a week, although that figure dropped to 56 per cent from 66 per cent over the last year, according to the report by Immigrant Services Society of B.C. The full-time employment rate has doubled in the past year to 27 per cent, it said. That's the picture painted by a small survey of 241 Syrian adults who arrived in British Columbia with government assistance over the past two years. At the same time, 87 per cent say their English has improved and 97 per cent say their children are doing well in school, the report said. Government-assisted refugees are selected based on vulnerability, he said. Director of settlement services Chris Friesen said given the huge obstacles government-assisted refugees have to overcome to get to Canada, full integration will take longer than two years, so the figures paint an optimistic picture. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.