The impact of government funding cuts on ethno-specific settlement services in Ontario: The case of the Afghan Association of Ontario and the Afghan Women’s Organization

This study focuses on the importance of ethno-specific immigrant settlement service agencies (ISSAs) for Afghan newcomers, in particular, refugees, and investigates the impact of Canadian government funding cuts on their services in Ontario. Based on secondary data, organizations’ archival documents and multi-lingual literature, this research presents the impact of funding cuts on services and service users through a case study of the Afghan Women’s Organization (AWO) and the Afghan Association of Ontario (AAO). This research demonstrates that the 2010 sweeping funding cuts terminated AAO’s programs, and consistent funding cuts have limited the AWO’s programs. Service users, too, confirm the lack of linguistic and culturally competent services, impacting their settlement and integration. This research is guided by the politics of recognition theoretical framework and strives to inform governmental policy, leading to access and provision of essential settlement services for newcomers.