Long walk to safety : experiences of refugee claimants with Canada's refugee policies and practices

The arrival of refugee claimants in Canada generates interest, controversy and heated debates from the Canadian body politic. Oftentimes, the voices of the refugees are absent from the debates about them and the policies and practices developed to deal with them. Through qualitative interviews, this study examines the experiences of refugees who fled persecution in their countries and came to Canada where they made successful applications for refugee protection. By documenting refugees experiences and their perceptions of these experiences, the study seeks to contribute to the debate on refugees by presenting their perspectives on Canada's inland refugee claim process. The study shows that apart from enduring the pains of persecution from which they fled, refugees also face serious challenges on their journeys to seek refugee protection in Canada. One of the main challenge[s] facing refugees when they arrive in Canada is the complex process of refugee determination and settlement that they have to go through. This paper takes the position that documenting the experiences of successful refugee claimants in Canada can be a good starting point from where to revisit our debates, polices and practices on refugees in a bid to establish a refugee protection system that adequately adheres to national and international refugee legislation while at the same time promoting a more responsive and humane approach to the needs of people fleeing persecution in their respective countries.