Somali Refugee Students in Canadian Schools: Pre-Migration Experiences and Challenges in Refugee Camps

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to shed light on the pre-migration challenges experienced by Somali refugee students in refugee camp before resettling in Canada. The findings were drawn from a qualitative research that was designed to investigate the pre-migration and post-migration experiences of Somali refugee students attending English public schools in a southwestern city in Ontario, Canada. The method of data collection in the study was semi-structured one-on-one interviews. A total of six Somali refugee students were interviewed. The exploration into the participants’ experiences revealed that they faced many pre-migration challenges in refugee camps. Members of the school community, including educators, administrators, and students, have a major role to play in supporting Somali newcomers with their integration.