Welcome to Refugee Health - Vancouver

Refugee Health Vancouver is a practical resource to support clinicians who provide care to refugees in British Columbia.

Need a patient handout on diabetes in Farsi? Looking for a Spanish-speaking dentist in Vancouver who offers reduced fees? Not sure what convention refugees are, why they would flee Myanmar, or how you can bill to care for them? This site pulls together the answers for you.

For comments, suggestions and corrections please contact us.

Close [-]

Refugee Categories

There are two major categories of refugees in Canada:

  1. Refugees resettled from overseas

    • Government Assisted Refugees (GARS) – individuals identified through the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and who are supported by the government upon arrival in Canada. Commonly called GARS or convention refugees, they receive permanent residency status on arrival in Canada. 7573 GARS were settled in Canada in 2014.
    • Privately Sponsored Refugees - refugees sponsored by family members, churches or Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs). 4560 privately sponsored refugees were settled in Canada in 2014.

  2. Refugee Claimants

    • Individuals who apply for refugee status upon arrival in Canada.
    • 7749 asylum seekers had successful claims in Canada in 2014.
    • RCs are divided into those from DCOs (designated countries of origin; countries that do not normally produce refugees, but do respect human rights and offer state protection) and non-DCOs.

Individuals overseas and those claiming refugee status in Canada are generally successful in receiving refugee status if they fall into one of these two categories:

  1. 1951 UNHCR Convention Refugee definition

    • Individuals who cannot return to their country of origin because of a well-founded fear of persecution based on race, religion, political opinion, nationality, or membership in a particular social group such as women or those defined by sexual orientation.

  2. Persons in Need of Protection definition

    • An individual who is afraid to return to his or her country because of the risk of torture, risk to life, risk of cruel or unusual treatment or punishment.

Key Points:

  • One of Africa’s largest countries, the Congo is tremendously rich in natural resources. These resources have been violently fought over for decades.

  • Between 1998-2003 one of Africa’s most destructive civil wars ensued.

  • Internationally these years have been dubbed ‘Africa’s World War’.

  • Ongoing conflict continues primarily in Congo’s Eastern provinces.

  • The Congo currently hosts the UN’s largest peacekeeping mission.

  • Sexual violence is commonly used as a tactic of war, subjecting women to rape by multiple perpetrators, mutilation, and public humiliation.

 

Background:

The Democratic Republic of Congo, formerly Zaire, is one of central Africa’s most conflicted countries. It is the third largest country in Africa, with Sudan and Algeria leading in size. The Congo is a vast country with immense natural resources. This tremendous mineral wealth has fuelled violent conflict by opposing powers for decades. Congo is currently enduring a humanitarian crisis. Congo’s persistent conflict has pitted government officials against rebels, many of whom are supported by Uganda and Rwanda. In 2003 a peace treaty and the formation of a transitional government promised a road to recovery for war torn Cong

»

Written by Allison Henderson MD and Kimberly Rutherford MD (May 5, 2011)
Reviewed/updated by Martina Scholtens MD CCFP (August 11, 2016)

Back to the Top