Refugee Readiness Team – Vancouver Island
The Refugee Readiness Team – Vancouver Island (RRT-VI) works to ensure that Vancouver Island communities are ready to welcome, respond to and leverage the strengths and contribution of Afghan refugees and displaced Ukrainians.
We are here to build safe, welcoming, and resilient communities where refugees and displaced Ukrainians can build their lives. We focus on four key areas: Housing, Healthcare, Employment and Education.
This program allows six Refugee Readiness Teams across the province to work on a coordinated approach to deliver services and create more welcoming communities. ICA began operating the current Refugee Readiness Team for Vancouver Island in 2022. This two-year initiative will come to an end on March 31, 2024.
We gratefully acknowledge the financial support of the Province of British Columbia through the Ministry of Municipal Affairs.
The Refugee Readiness Team – Vancouver Island is focusing on the following four sectors:
RRT-VI Housing Resources
The Refugee Readiness Team - Vancouver Island addresses housing through networking with landlords, providing snapshots of the housing situation to governments and directly facilitating housing opportunities.
RRT-VI Healthcare Resources
The Refugee Readiness Team - Vancouver Island addresses healthcare through facilitating access in a variety of ways.
RRT-VI Employment Resources
The Refugee Readiness Team - Vancouver Island addresses employment through connecting employers, sharing employment information and facilitating connections between refugees, displaced Ukrainians and employers.
RRT-VI Education Resources
The Refugee Readiness Team - Vancouver Island shares information on language training, facilitation integration of children in schools, and best practices for teachers and school districts in welcoming children into Greater Victoria's schools.