Most of my professional life has focused on working with newcomers (a more neutrally connotated word than 'refugees' or ‘migrants’). I have worked as an English language teacher, interpreter, immigration advisor and community development officer, supporting newly-arrived families settling down in the UK.

In my previous role, I covered 8 small to mid-size towns in North Yorkshire, facilitating integration between host communities and newly-arrived refugees. This was a rather new experience for all of us as a team at the Refugee Council and our colleagues in the public and charity sector. 

Despite it being the most worthwhile job of my career, the challenges were great. Resettlement is not an easy process and I recognised that we could all learn a lot from other countries like Canada, which have more experience and knowledge in supporting newcomers in rural areas. 

In 2020, in pursuit of further providing support to newcomers, I was awarded a Churchill Fellowship, which meant I was given an opportunity to travel to Canada for six weeks to carry out research on refugee resettlement in rural areas, a topic very close to my heart. 

However, as Covid hit and travel restrictions were imposed, I was unable to travel at that time. Therefore, I decided to carry out my research digitally.

In 2022 whilst residing in Costa Rica, I interviewed professionals, volunteers and sponsored individuals through Zoom, WhatsApp and Google. The responses I gathered through my earlier survey in the UK guided me to adopt a qualitative method and base my questions in a way that I could better understand the reasons that underpin the adoption of attitudes and the creation of resettlement policies, procedures and services that encourage successful settlement. My own personal experience of growth and being a migrant for most of my life has been another supporting factor contributing to my report. 

My final report will be shared in 2023; however, in the meantime I would like to use this platform to connect with my audience and communicate with those who are like-minded and have an interest in what I have to share.