Toward Sustainable Data Governance in Refugee and Immigrant Serving Sector in Canada

For governments across the world, evaluating the impact of social service programs is a growing challenge – and they are increasingly turning to data and technology to help manage it. This is especially true for programs serving refugees and immigrants to settle in a new country. From tracking who needs settlement support to deciding who gets benefits first, digital systems and artificial intelligence are becoming key tools in how social services support refugees and immigrants.

…

Through interviews, observations, and document analysis in the Canadian settlement sector, Cansu Ekmekcioglu explored how data is collected, used, and interpreted in everyday work. What she found highlights a deep tension: while standardized data helps streamline services, it doesn’t always fit the messy, personal, and always evolving realities of refugees and immigrants’ lives and their settlement outcomes.