Esses, Victoria

Presented at the Pathways to Prosperity National Conference - Shaping Immigration to Canada: Learning from the Past and a Vision for the Future, 2018, Ottawa, Ontario. In the second workshop, "Public Perceptions of Refugees: Contexts and Response": While Canada’s overall commitment to resettling refugees is admirable, there are those within Canadian society who view such arrivals with apprehension. When politicians, pundits, media, and the broader public express disparaging views or opinions about refugees, the result, whether intentional or not, is the reinforcing of negative prejudices and stereotypes. The goal of this session is to assess the opinions and views of the broader public and media towards refugees while examining the impact that such perspectives may have on refugees in Canada.