“Too often, people immigrating to Quebec will arrive in the middle of winter, with everything pre-planned to a tee… minus any warm clothing. That traumatic experience happened to a few women I’ve known. And if you’re coming from Maghreb, the shock is especially hard,” says Sawsan Mbirkou, founder of Iris Immigration, which specializes in helping newcomers adapt to life in Montreal. “We think of everything for them, so we wait for them at the airport with warm coats.”
This anecdote perfectly illustrates the challenges of people emigrating and integrating in to a new country: notably, that there is always something new to consider. Fortunately, newcomers can count on Iris Immigration to help them transition to life in Montreal. “As soon as they obtain their visa, they can contact us; we then begin the process with them, and take care of everything. Temporary apartment, jobs, school registration, paperwork: we walk them through every step of the way. We’ll even Métro with them to get groceries, walk them around their new neighbourhood, show them the spots, so they feel less disoriented,” Sawsan explains.
