A number of Syrian refugees are having to rely on local food banks.
Earlier this month, Loaves and Fishes told the News Bulletin that it has seen as many as 25 Syrian refugee families visit the food bank this year. In March, more than 30 government sponsored refugees were settled in Nanaimo as part of the Trudeau government’s promise to settle 25,000 refugees within Canada.
Hilde Schlosar, executive director for the Central Vancouver Island Multicultural Society, said her organization has known that Syrian refugees are using the food bank.
“We are aware that they are using the food bank,” she said. “Especially the government assistant ones because they receive an equivalent income assistance rate.”
The federal government's Resettlement Assistance Program provides government-sponsored refugees with monthly financial support based on provincial social assistance rates, which is the minimum amount needed to cover basic food and housing costs. Government financial support typically lasts for up to one year or until the refugee is financially able to provide for themselves without monetary aid. Schlosar said she is expecting a decline in the number of refugees using the food bank once child tax credit cheques arrive. “When they get their child tax credit they may not need to go to the food bank,” she said. “But the ones that don’t have kids … they have been going to food bank for sure.”While the society has a fund to help the refugees, it isn’t enough to help cover the cost of food or other living expenses for a long period of time, according to Schlosar.
“The fund did provide a little bit of assistance in the first couple of months,” she said. “We’ve done what we can do given the limited donations. Foods banks and other supports are definitely what refugees are having to look at anywhere.”
Schlosar said big misconception among many Canadians is that government-sponsored refugees get more money from the federal government than homeless people or those already on income assistance.
“That’s not true,” she said. “They get the same.”All of the government-sponsored refugees that arrived in Nanaimo have found housing according to Schlosar, who said until recently they were expecting more government refugees to be settled in the city later this year.
"We don't know for sure because if the government can't give us enough to help them settle here then Nanaimo won't be a destination," she said. "Up until a few days ago we were definitely expecting some to come and now are we are not sure that we will recommend it if they don't give us a little bit of money to help serve them."