PRAN African Newcomer Longitudinal Qualitative Study (ANLQS)
Why conduct a Longitudinal Study?
Sub-Saharan African immigrants and refugees make up the majority of newcomers from Africa in Canada. Despite their numbers growing over the past half-century, we know very little about their experiences as they adapt to their new lives in Canada.
While other PRAN projects will provide a broad overview of African newcomer experiences, the ANLQS will focus in-depth on family experiences. We follow Sub-Saharan African immigrant and refugee families over several years to explore how they adapt to life in Canada.
What we are doing:
The African Newcomer Longitudinal Qualitative Study will track the views and experiences of Sub-Saharan African immigrant and refugee families who have arrived in Canada during the past two years.
Our team will interview families from Edmonton, Toronto, Montréal, and Halifax three times over two years as they settle and create community in Canada.
We will explore how families adapt, overcome challenges, and find new ways to solve problems and create solutions. We will also collect families’ ideas on improving services and programs to help African communities thrive in Canada.
Our Questions
- In the early years of settlement, how do newcomer families from sub-Saharan Africa face and adapt to challenges?
- How do families draw on support from their friends, families, communities, and other people?
- What resources do African newcomer families draw on to help them overcome challenges? Do these supports change over time?
The African Newcomer Longitudinal Qualitative Study is the third of three core research projects carried out by the PRAN partnership.
PRAN Research Project Overview
Project Part 1—Cross-Sectional Survey
Sub-Saharan African Immigrants and Refugees in Canada
University of Alberta Research Ethics ID#: Pro00133601
Completed collecting responses in March 2025. Data analysis is on-going. Results will complement the ANLQS and CIS.
Project Part 2—Community Institutional Scan (CIS)
Sub-Saharan African Immigrants and Refugees in Canada
University of Alberta Research Ethics ID#: Pro00139861
Will capture the critical roles that SSAI-serving organizations play for SSAI communities in Canada.
Project Part 3—African Newcomer Longitudinal Qualitative Study (ANLQS)
Sub-Saharan African Immigrants and Refugees in Canada
University of Alberta Research Ethics ID#: Pro00146378
Will explore and track resilience among SSAI families through the early years of their settlement in one of four Canadian cities (Edmonton, Halifax, Toronto, and Montréal).