Government-assisted Refugees in Toronto's LINC Classes: An Exploration of Perceived Needs an Barriers

Studies on any aspect of the resettlement of government-assisted refugees (GARs) in Canada are scarce. This lack of research is particularly prominent in the area of GARs' experience in official language-training programs. Drawing on both quantitative and qualitataive data, this paper is the first examination of the perceived needs and barriers of GARs in Language and Instruction for Newcomers to Canada (LINC), a federally-funded langauge training program for newly arrived permanent residents. The study focuses on the LINC program in the City of Toronto. Analysis of quantitative data suggests that GARs have high drop-out and low graduation rates from LINC classes compared to other immigrants. Interviews with key informants parallel the findings from the quantitative data, but also identify significant difficulties faced by GARs both inside and outside the LINC classroom. This study contributes to an enhanced understanding of the settlement needs of GARs and advocates for the development of both new and improved programs and services for GARs in Canada.