PNSG and the Region of Peel are co-hosting the Resettlement Support Working Group (RSWG) with a special focus on Afghan refugees and displaced Ukrainians.
On October 14, 2021, a Peel Refugee Resettlement Support Working Group (RSWG) was reconvened to support the federal Afghan Initiative. The Region of Peel and the PNSG co-chair the bi-weekly meetings.
At present, the working group has turned its attention to the displaced Ukrainians while considering equitable supports to all refugees arriving to Peel. Current issues for coordination include housing (e.g. host families), health care access and employment. Updates on supports and preparations are shared by government representatives, the Ukrainian Canadian Congress–Toronto chapter and resettlement leads such as COSTI. The working group supports information sharing across sectors, resource coordination and pathways to required services for resettlement.
Representatives include all levels of government, including the department of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), Ontario’s Ministry of Labour, Training and Skills Development, all three local municipalities as well as relevant Region of Peel departments. Almost 40 organizations participate including settlement, employment, child welfare, school boards and police, among others. This table supported the Operation Syrian refugees in 2015 and the support needed for asylum-seekers in the GTA in 2018.