London Cross Cultural Learner Centre and Lina Fernandes

Syrian refugees: Syrian refugees: New arrivals struggle to find work Some of those refugees met with Brown on Monday, grateful for the help in adjusting to a new life in Canada. "Our community partners moved in incredible ways," said Lina Fernandes of the London Cross Cultural Learner Centre. "We have found homes for every family, according to CBC. They are currently waiting for English classes, children are in school, so I would say it been very successful." Anticipating challenge Settling so many refugees in such a short period of time appeared daunting for some staff at the Learner Centre. Since December of last year, more than 1,000 Syrian refugees have landed in London after fleeing their country and the ongoing violent conflict. Organizers relied on the experience they have from 45 years of helping people resettle in the city. "We have the experience, we know the settlement process, we know what the needs are," Fernandes told CBC Afternoon Drive host Bob Steele. "It was challenging and lots of work, but successful in the end." The large number fo children coming to the city caught some members of the team off guard. "We didn't have a lot of resources in our centre for children — day care and toys and strollers were a great need at that time," Fernandes said. "We had to move community partners very quickly to take care of that many children." Now that every refugee family has been housed, there are other challenges many of them face. Fernandes said there are waiting lists for people looking to take English courses. Most refugees are ready to work, but learning English has been a challenge and often a barrier to finding work. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.