The End-to-End UNHCR Refugee Resettlement Journey: The Case of Ahmadi Muslim Refugees from Pakistan to Canada

This research study details the multi-stage UNHCR refugee resettlement pathway by following the harrowing journeys of Ahmadi Muslims fleeing religious persecution from Pakistan to Canada. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 3 Ahmadi Muslim refugees and 3 practitioners with expert knowledge to uncover this understudied pathway. This journey is undertaken by refugees who are unable to obtain direct visas to western countries, and instead flee to a transitionary country to initiate an asylum case at the local UNHCR office in hopes of getting approved as UNHCR convention refugees. Then, they await resettlement to the desired destination country, a process that can take up to a decade. Thematic findings from the 6 semi-structured interviews and recent scholarly literature suggest that this journey is complex, lengthy and littered with challenges. I argue that the UNHCR recognizes the plight of the Ahmadi Muslims but creates dangerous migratory pathways, luring Ahmadi Muslims and other persecuted populations into further vulnerability. Key Words: UNHCR, Refugee, Resettlement, Ahmadi Muslim, Pakistan, Canada, Transit Countries