I am a U2 International Development student at McGill with a minor in Economics. I am interested in refugee policy and interested in pursuing law. Because of the generous support of Ms. Tania Zouikin, I have been able to seize the opportunity to intern this summer with The Refugee Centre in Montreal.
The Refugee Centre’s mission is to facilitate the integration of newcomers to Montreal. The centre’s goal a comprehensive service provider, providing resources for both accepted refugees and refugee claimants in Canada including legal support, housing, education support, and employment services. The centre also has an intake system with caseworkers that provide one on one support for clients with more complex needs.
As an intern, I held a client-facing role, with one of my primary tasks being reception support. This position gave me insight into the various government agencies involved in the Canadian asylum process. Clients frequently came in with questions about their claims or brought legal documents seeking clarification. I also supported clients during workshops, helping them complete forms such as the IRCC portal, and guiding them through the next steps in the refugee claimant process to ensure they remained on track. For more complex situations, I consulted with our legal team to determine how best to respond. Beyond direct client interaction, I contributed to an external referral database by researching services available to refugee claimants across Montreal, helping expand our support resources. I also applied my knowledge of R to analyze the Centre’s data and create charts illustrating how policy changes have shaped our client demographics over time.
I am thankful for the courses that prepared me for this internship. INTD 356 and POLI 210 taught me statistical and coding skills, which I used to analyze client data. INTD 354 introduced me to the nonprofit sector and local refugee organizations. My classes on politics in the Global South gave me insight into the political situations that cause people to flee their countries. This background helped me understand clients better, especially when they discussed political actors or events related to their migration.
One of the most rewarding parts of my internship was learning about the legal side of the refugee process and working with the legal team. Handling complex cases on the IRCC portal deepened my understanding of immigration procedures. I also enjoyed using R to create a report on how policy changes affected our clients. It was exciting to see my work presented at a meeting with the Ministère de l’Immigration, Francisation et Intégration. Building relationships with clients, recognizing them by name, and gaining their trust was very meaningful. Months ago, I helped a woman from Cuba with her IRCC portal, and she now stops to say hello whenever she visits. These moments showed me the real impact of our work.
A key challenge at The Refugee Centre was lacking the knowledge to address every client’s needs. Clients often had complex legal questions or forms, and it was impossible to learn everything in three months. I sometimes went to the legal team without enough information, slowing the process. To fix this, we created a checklist of key details to collect first. I also learned it’s better to ask questions than risk giving wrong advice, which could harm clients’ safety or status.
The generous funds I received from Ms. Tania Zouikin allowed me to live in Montreal and cover my living expenses thus allowing me to intern at an in-person organization. Without this financial support, this internship opportunity would not have been possible.
Thank you to Ms. Tania Zouikin for her generous support which allowed me to have this experience.