Settlement services are programs and support designed to help immigrants to begin the settlement process and to help them make the necessary adjustments for life in their host country.
The goal of providing settlement services is to help newcomers to make smooth transitions sine qua non for participating in the Canadian economy and society.
Settlement is a continuum of activities a new immigrant/refugee goes through upon arrival in a host country.
The settlement includes three processes:
Adjustment: Coping with new situations like new culture, language, people, job market, and environment.
Adaptation: Learn to manage new situations with minimal help
Integration: Get involved in new situations and participate actively to contribute as residents to the economic, social, cultural, and political life of the host society without barriers.
In Consultations on Settlement Renewal, CIC defines settlement in the following way:
"Settlement means the process by which a newcomer, during his or her first few years in Canada, acquires basic information, knowledge, and skills to become self-sufficient, e.g., find a home, communicate in one of Canada's official languages, access health services, interact with schools, etc. (CIC, 1995).
