Connected to last? The temporary effect of sponsorship on refugee's friendship networks


Thomas Soehl, McGill University

Having crossed the territorial boundary, how do migrants cross the social boundary and develop friendship networks in their destinations? The canonical assimilation model suggests that this process unfolds gradually and, especially when it comes to relationships that span social differences like those that reach outside the co-ethnic community, is intertwined with other adjustments such as learning the host country language, and residential and occupational mobility. But is this coupling of different dimensions of assimilation inevitable? Refugee sponsorship policies like those pursued in Canada offer an opportunity to examine this question. Providing social connections right upon arrival they re-order the typical sequence. Drawing on a representative, longitudinal survey of Syrian refugees in Canada who arrived through different resettlement programs we investigate whether these initial connections indeed result in durably different friendship networks and are thus able to uncouple friendship formation from other dimension of settlement. We find that only sponsorships where refugees are matched with sponsors they did not know prior to migration and where the sponsorship relationship bridges large social distances – is associated with larger and more diverse friendship networks. And while they can provide tangible benefits, these additional friendship ties are fragile and dissolve in relatively short time.

Non-presenting author: Ana Cañedo, Université de Montreal

This paper will be presented at the following session: