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Thursday, July 24, 2008
When Refugees Arrive in Hamilton
Of great concern, is the lack of a Reception House or place of welcome for immigrants and refugees coming to the Hamilton area. Currently, when Somali and refugees from other war torn countries arrive in Hamilton, they are put up in a downtown hotel being used for temporary housing. In addition to being costly, this arrangement has several disadvantages for newcomers. They spend most of their first few days or weeks in isolation, alone with little support, facing critical language barriers and often experience culture shock. The culture shock is difficult for many coming from a refugee camp environment to a large city like Hamilton.
It is important for Refugees to have immediate access to SISO’s staff for basic support.
To effectively deal with these challenges and ensure a smooth transition for the newcomers, an alternative system is needed. One viable solution is a Reception House. Reception Houses are designed to assist immigrants and refugees in adjusting to their new environment.
A Reception House offers a warm, caring atmosphere for temporary accommodation and the provision for basic orientation services all under one roof. This eliminates the need to travel into an unfamiliar city environment to attend programs and services for integration. Unlike a hotel, newcomers are welcome into a supportive facility that is equipped with trained staff to provide all of the settlement services that they require to help them integrate into Hamilton’s multi cultural society all in one facility.
Return to the New Dawn Reception House Overview Page
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