Refugees face more hardship settling during lockdown, advocates say (CBC News)

April 29, 2020

From CBC News – Hamzeh Alnas came to Canada to start a new life.

After fleeing Syria’s civil war, the 26-year-old arrived in British Columbia on Jan. 15, 2020, with his partner, Julia. They began working two weeks later at the Four Seasons hotel in Whistler.

But then on Jan. 25, Canada registered its first “presumptive case” of COVID-19, with the coronavirus pandemic ultimately leading to widespread shutdowns and physical distancing measures.

The once-bustling mountain resort turned into a ghost town.

On March 11, Alnas lost his job and the accommodation that came with it.

“I was rebuilding myself, but then this happened. I’m getting scared about tomorrow because nobody knows what tomorrow is hiding,” he said.