"Waiting for a wife": Transnational marriages and the social dimensions of refugee "integration"

Abstract

This paper addresses the gap in research on the social dimensions of refugee resettlement. This is accomplished by examining refugee belonging and definitions of "integration" through a case study of Acehnese refugees resettled in Vancouver, British Columbia, between 2004 and 2006. We analyze findings based on a survey and in-depth interviews conducted five years after resettlement. Our findings suggest that recently resettled groups like the Acehnese, who are "new and few," face specific integration challenges. Importantly, the lengthy timelines to enact sponsorship of a spouse and/ or family reunification from Aceh unwittingly inhibit the social integration of the sponsors waiting in Canada.