The Multicultural Association of the Greater Moncton Area says support from community residents is largely responsible for helping Syrian refugees settle in the region.
MAGMA interim executive director Justin Ryan says the more than 300 refugees – many of them children – are doing quite well.
Ryan says children may have a tough time in the beginning but they quickly hit the ground running.
“If you take a child who is 6 or 7 years old now, in five years time you won’t know they were born anywhere other than Canada. But twenty years from now, you’ll easily be able to identify the parents by their accents, mannersims and those sorts of things,” he says.
Ryan notes many adult refugees want to find jobs quickly but before that, MAGMA urges them to take language classes, develop life skills and ensure their foreign credentials are recognized in Canada.
