Syrian refugee resettlement and the role of local immigration partnerships in Ontario, Canada

We examine Canada's recent Syrian Refugee Resettlement Initiative (SRRI) paying close attention to the resettlement role played by mid‐sized urban communities. We elaborate on a key policy dimension at work at this scale of action: local immigration partnerships (LIPs). We start with a very brief review of Canada's history of mass refugee resettlement. Second, we assess the policy of LIPs, particularly how they have been presented as a form of “place‐based policy,” and third, we offer an overview of the role the LIPs played in three case study communities (Hamilton, Ottawa, and Waterloo) during the SRRI. Finally, we present three overarching themes that emerged from our research in each of these communities: the importance of each community's history of immigration and refugee resettlement; the embeddedness of the LIP and its leadership in the local community; and how the positioning of each LIP relative to the three levels of government and its official Resettlement Assistance Program agreement holders impacted its ability to act. The history, location, and place characteristics of each community influenced the nature of intersectoral and intergovernmental relations in distinctive ways, and differentially shaped the effectiveness of each LIP's ability to contribute to the SRRI. Key Messages The success of Canada's Syrian Refugee Resettlement Initiative in Ontario depended upon extensive local community stakeholder involvement. Local immigration partnerships (LIPs) in three research sites played an important role in the resettlement initiative, despite intersectoral and intergovernmental communication challenges. LIPs represent key elements of place‐based policy for immigrant and refugee settlement, including the relevance of geographical and institutional context and the incorporation of local knowledge. L'accueil des réfugiés syriens et le rôle des partenariats locaux en matière d'immigration en Ontario, au Canada À l'intérieur de ce texte, nous étudions le projet d'accueil des réfugiés syriens (IRRS) au Canada, en accordant une attention particulière au rôle joué lors dans leur insertion par les partenaires locaux en milieux urbains de taille moyenne. Plus précisément, nous analysons une politique clé à l'œuvre à cette échelle d'intervention, à savoir les Partenariats locaux en immigration (PLI). Nous commençons par un bref examen de l'histoire des arrivées massives de réfugiés au Canada et des stratégies d'accueil. Deuxièmement, nous évaluons la politi