Immigrant Youth and Canada

Canada: Some statistics mirror broader studies into homeless youth across Canada, but immigrant youth often face additional concerns such as acclimatizing to new culture and value systems, language barriers, family issues and sometimes mental health conditions such as post-traumatic stress disorder linked to witnessing or participating in war. , according to NOW. The most common reason for participants leaving home is familial conflict. Many become homeless around the age of 17 and over half cited family conflict as the reason. The report numbers were similar to broader studies, with around 45 per cent of participants citing physical abuse and 33 per cent citing sexual abuse. Examples of conflict include arranged marriages and differing values between generations. The report, led by the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health and Children Aid Society Toronto looks at 74 people new to Canada within the last 10 years. The researchers focus on youth between the ages of 16 and 24 in the GTA who have no permanent, safe, affordable, and adequate home. On top of that, a quarter are parents with about half of those the primary care taker of the child or children. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.