A Tale of Two Contexts: The Ukrainian and Afghan Refugee Crises in Canada and the UK

Abstract

A Tale of Two Contexts is a comparative study that contrasts the approaches of Canada and the UK in accommodating Ukrainian and Afghan refugees. This study scrutinizes the criteria that classify refugees as deserving or undeserving of governmental protection.

Drawing on academic and grey literature from May 2021 to May 2023, A Tale of Two Contexts employs an exhaustive keyword methodology to uncover the efficacy of various policies and their situational specificities. Keywords used included: “Asylum and Refugee Policies”, “State Responses for Refugees/Asylum Seekers”, “Canada-Ukraine Authorization for Emergency Travel”, “Ukraine Family Scheme”, “Ukraine Sponsorship Scheme”, “Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme”, “Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy”; and “Ukraine Extension Scheme”.

A Tale of Two Contexts searched the following databases: Sociological Abstracts, Oxford Scholarship Online, PAIS Index; Research Library, CBCA Complete, Google Scholar, Factiva, Google, and Canada Commons. One hundred thirteen articles were reviewed for Canada and eighty for the UK.

The insights derived from this comparative study are set to offer substantive recommendations to policymakers in Canada and the UK. The aim is to enhance the design and implementation of international and temporary protection measures for migrants and optimize transit and resettlement procedures for those displaced by turmoil and global emergencies.