Don’t Take the Boats
Former immigration foreign service officer René Bersma offers his comprehensive recollections of the early part of his career, with particular emphasis on his experiences in south-east Asia (1978-1982).
Former immigration foreign service officer René Bersma offers his comprehensive recollections of the early part of his career, with particular emphasis on his experiences in south-east Asia (1978-1982).
Canadians who came here under the ‘boat people’ movement are now telling their stories. CIHS is partnering with the Southeast Asian Canadian community organizations, Carleton University and others to capture the stories – many of which are now on-line, through the ‘Hearts of Freedom’ project. The project will ensure that the settlement experience of these…
Robin Higham’s review of ‘Running on Empty’ is posted here with the kind permission of Mr. Higham as well as that of the Professional Association of Foreign Service Officers. The review first appeared in the Association’s magazine ‘Bout de Papier’.
This project presents a series of interviews conducted with professionals who helped transform the delivery of settlement services to newly arrived immigrants to Canada. They have worked in various facets of Canada’s immigration system and, in many instances, had to fill a policy void with practical measures to ensure the effective integration of newcomers into…
June 20, 2026 is recognized as World Refugee Day by the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) and by all who work in the refugee protection and resettlement sector.
We have posted a revised and more complete chronology of developments leading up to and following the start of the movement of Southeast Asian refugees to Canada.