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Integrating Prague Spring Refugee Professionals in Canada, 1968-1969 Jan Raska

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Integrating Prague Spring Refugee Professionals in Canada, 1968-1969 Jan Raska Document generated on 09/23/2021 7:28 a.m. Refuge Canada's Journal on Refugees Revue canadienne sur les réfugiés 'Small Gold Mine of Talent': Integrating Prague Spring Refugee Professionals in Canada, 1968-1969 Jan Raska Volume 37, Number 1, 2021 Article abstract Following the August 1968 Soviet-led invasion of Czechoslovakia, 11,200 Prague URI: https://id.erudit.org/iderudit/1076809ar Spring refugees were resettled in Canada. This movement included many DOI: https://doi.org/10.25071/1920-7336.40660 experienced professionals and skilled tradespeople. This article examines how these refugees navigated language training and barriers to employment, See table of contents including professional accreditation, and examines how this experience shaped bureaucratic and public views of refugee integration. The focus of this article is primarily on resettlement and integration efforts in Ontario, since Publisher(s) roughly half of the Prague Spring refugees were permanently resettled in the province. The article outlines how, as part of its efforts to help the refu- gees Centre for Refugee Studies, York University with their economic and social integration, Canadian officials provided assisted passage, initial accommodations, help with securing Canadian ISSN employment, and English- or French-language training. Prague Spring refugees navigated professional obstacles, including securing accreditation of their 0229-5113 (print) foreign credentials and underemployment in their respective fields. Their 1920-7336 (digital) successful resettlement and integration depended on intergovernmental cooperation between Canada and its provinces, and the assistance provided by Explore this journal local Czech and Slovak communities across the country. Cite this article Raska, J. (2021). 'Small Gold Mine of Talent': Integrating Prague Spring Refugee Professionals in Canada, 1968-1969. Refuge, 37(1), 50–60. https://doi.org/10.25071/1920-7336.40660 ©, 2021 Jan Raska This document is protected by copyright law. Use of the services of Érudit (including reproduction) is subject to its terms and conditions, which can be viewed online. https://apropos.erudit.org/en/users/policy-on-use/ This article is disseminated and preserved by Érudit. Érudit is a non-profit inter-university consortium of the Université de Montréal, Université Laval, and the Université du Québec à Montréal. Its mission is to promote and disseminate research. https://www.erudit.org/en/ Refuge 37(1) http://doi.org/10.25071/1920-7336.40660 “Small Gold Mine of Talent”: Integrating Prague Spring Refugee Professionals in Canada, 1968–1969 Jan Raska Abstract tion depended on intergovernmental cooperation between Following the August 1968 Soviet-led invasion of Czech- Canada and its provinces, and the assistance provided by oslovakia, 11,200 Prague Spring refugees were resettled local Czech and Slovak communities across the country. in Canada. This movement included many experienced Résumé professionals and skilled tradespeople. This article exam- ines how these refugees navigated language training and Suite à l’invasion menée par l’Union soviétique en Tché- barriers to employment, including professional accredita- coslovaquie en août 1968, 11 200 réfugiés du Printemps tion, and examines how this experience shaped bureau- de Prague ont été relocalisés au Canada. Ce mouvement cratic and public views of refugee integration. The focus comprenait plusieurs professionnels expérimentés et ou- of this article is primarily on resettlement and integration vriers qualifiés. Cet article examine comment ces réfugiés efforts in Ontario, since roughly half of the Prague Spring ont composé avec la formation linguistique et les obstacles refugees were permanently resettled in the province. The à l’emploi, y compris l’accréditation professionnelle, et article outlines how, as part of its efforts to help the refu- examine comment cette expérience a façonné la vision gees with their economic and social integration, Canadian bureaucratique et publique de l’intégration des réfugiés. officials provided assisted passage, initial accommodations, Cet article se concentre principalement sur les efforts de help with securing Canadian employment, and English- or réinstallation et d’intégration en Ontario, étant donné French-language training. Prague Spring refugees navigat- qu’environ la moitié des réfugiés du Printemps de Prague ed professional obstacles, including securing accreditation ont été réinstallés de façon permanente dans la province. of their foreign credentials and underemployment in their Cet article décrit comment, dans le cadre de leurs efforts respective fields. Their successful resettlement and integra- pour favoriser l’intégration économique et sociale des réfu- giés, les autorités canadiennes leur ont fourni une aide au © Jan Raska, 2021. This open-access work is licensed under a Creative Commons Cette œuvre en libre accès fait l’objet d’une licence Creative Commons Attribu- Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International Licence, which permits use, repro- tion-NonCommercial 4.0 International Licence, laquelle autorise l’utilisation, la duction, and distribution in any medium for non-commercial purposes, provided reproduction et la distribution de l’œuvre sur tout support à des fins non commer- the original authorship is credited and the original publication in Refuge: Canada’s ciales, pourvu que l’auteur ou les auteurs originaux soient mentionnés et que la Journal on Refugees is cited. publication originale dans Refuge : revue canadienne sur les réfugiés soit citée. 50 Volume 37 Refuge Number 1 transport, un hébergement initial, de l’aide pour obtenir un refugees between September 1968 and January 1969 (Can- emploi au Canada et une formation linguistique en anglais ada, 1970, p. 524). Scholarship has claimed that political ou en français. Les réfugiés du Printemps de Prague ont été self-interest, economic considerations, and international confrontés à des obstacles professionnels, notamment en humanitarianism played an important role in the federal ce qui concerne l’accréditation de leurs diplômes étrangers government’s decision to bring mostly young and well-edu- et le sous-emploi dans leurs domaines respectifs. Le succès cated skilled workers and professionals to Canada because they could make an immediate contribution to Canadian de leur relocalisation et de leur intégration reposait sur la society and its economy (Troper, 1993, p. 271). Scholars coopération intergouvernementale entre le Canada et ses have also pointed to Cold War ideological considerations provinces et sur le soutien apporté par les communautés to explain Canada’s resettlement of these refugees. Cana- tchèques et slovaques locales à travers le pays. dian officials relaxed immigration criteria, including med- ical examination and security screening, to embarrass the Introduction Soviet authorities for propaganda purposes and to politicize vernight on August 20–21, 1968, Warsaw Pact forc- the Eastern Bloc as a group of refugee-producing commu- es invaded Czechoslovakia to crush the Prague nist states (Dirks, 1977, p. 255). Spring—a period that lasted over seven months in Humanitarian organizations and supporters of refugee Owhich civic freedoms were restored, press censorship was rights criticized the Canadian government for playing Cold abolished, and the economy was liberalized, all in an effort War politics in its selection and admission of refugees flee- to reform the communist regime from within. The sudden ing communism in Eastern Europe, while other individuals crisis forced approximately 27,000 Czechoslovak nationals in search of refuge from right-wing regimes were ignored to seek refuge in the West. They joined close to 80,000 com- (Troper, 1993, p. 272). Others suggest that federal officials patriots who were in Austria, Yugoslavia, West Germany, used the pretence of humanitarian intervention to disguise Italy, France, and the United Kingdom at the time of the So- economic self-interest and bring refugees to Canada who viet-led invasion. Many of these individuals were on holiday, did not pose a security risk to Canadian society. In addition, studying at universities abroad, or conducting business as the Canadian government sought to maintain good rela- representatives of state companies. As a result of the inva- tions with its Soviet counterparts and to promote détente sion, many individuals and families decided that they could without further heightening Cold War tensions (Madokoro, not return home and looked for permanent resettlement in 2009, p. 168). the West. Conversely, Czechoslovak nationals who left their The Warsaw Pact invasion of Czechoslovakia caught homeland after the invasion did so because they refused to Canadian officials by surprise. Initially hesitant to imple- live under Soviet occupation. Many of them sought United ment a military or humanitarian response, the Canadian Nations (UN) convention refugee status and asylum in the government was criticized by the mainstream press for its West (Holborn, 1975, pp. 516–517). perceived inaction. Coupled with the lobbying efforts of Many Czechoslovak nationals did not meet the con- the Canadian Czechoslovak and nationalist Slovak com- ditions for UN convention refugee status since they were munities, Canadian officials were pressured to establish a outside of their home country at the time of the invasion. resettlement scheme for the Prague Spring refugees. In the While the office of the United Nations High Commissioner context of the Cold War, Canadian officials
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