International research project led by TMU prof examines refugee rights
Idil Atak is leading the Canada-related parts of the project with universities in Europe, Canada and South Africa.
Canada has often been regarded as a benevolent country for migrants on the global stage. New research being led by Idil Atak, a professor at the Lincoln Alexander School of Law, challenges this notion.
This research is part of an international initiative entitled “PROTECT (external link) The Right to International Protection: A Pendulum Between Globalization and Nativization” and explores Canada’s commitment to refugee protection and resettlement. The research highlights how migrants face challenges to access and effectively enjoy their rights and freedoms in Canada.
“Legal and socioeconomic barriers faced by migrants coupled with the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated their vulnerability and negatively impacted their access to justice,” said Atak. “We found a huge gap between the positive narratives for refugees and the problems that some groups of migrants face in this country in terms of racism and discrimination.”
Atak leads the Canada-related parts of the project conducted by an international consortium of 11 universities in the European Union, Canada and South Africa. The research team includes Julie Kim, a former TMU master’s student in immigration and settlement studies, as well as researchers from York University and University of Toronto.
The research team conducted an ethnographic observation and organized three expert forum webinars. They interviewed 31 stakeholders, half of which were migrants who spoke about the challenges they faced during their immigration and settlement in Toronto.
Migrant research participants, who were all racialized asylum seeking or non-status women, shared experiences of workplace exploitation, racism and discrimination when accessing services such as housing, health care and education.
“Our research centres the voices of asylum seekers and non-status migrants as well as stakeholders who work in solidarity with them to advance the human rights of migrants in Canada,” said Atak. “It promotes a better understanding of migrants’ needs and the challenges they face, which is essential for policy reform.”
After three years, the project wrapped up this month and Atak says the team is looking to translate their scholarly work into concrete policy outcomes.
“The research findings underline the need for a gendered and intersectional approach to developing and implementing policies that protect and empower migrant women during their status regularization and settlement process,” said Atak.
The project is funded by the European Union Commission’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program and the Social Sciences and Humanities Council of Canada. It explores Canada’s implementation of the 2018 United Nations Global Compacts on Migration and Refugees (external link) , which are the first intergovernmental agreements to cover all dimensions of international migration and refugee protection in a holistic and comprehensive manner.
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