Stability while you navigate the next stage
Refugee support: connect legal help, everyday needs and care
Arriving through resettlement and making a refugee claim inside Canada are different situations. The useful starting point is your current circumstances: where you are staying, what documents you have and whether there is a legal deadline.
Reviewed 7 September 2026 · Durham Region, Ontario
Run legal and settlement support alongside each other
A lawyer helps with legal advice and representation. A settlement worker helps you navigate everyday services and referrals. One does not replace the other. At the first conversation, say whether you arrived through a resettlement program, are making a claim or are unsure how to describe your situation.
Use Legal Aid Ontario’s application guidance or call 1-800-668-8258 to ask about legal-aid eligibility for your matter. In our directory, Adekola Olawoye — Pillarstone Law and Alexander Schram — Creighton Law publish refugee-related immigration services. Ask about the exact work needed, availability, fees and acceptance of legal aid; a listing does not mean free representation.
Protect the timeline and the original documents
Keep every notice, appointment letter and decision, including the date it arrived. Make a simple timeline and show it to the legal professional. If a date is close, mention it before giving the longer background story. Do not assume an unanswered email pauses a deadline.
Ask how to send records securely and whether translations are needed. Keep originals and copies organized. Avoid relying on a general article for a filing deadline: the applicable procedure and your own documents matter. Our refugees and asylum information page is background information, not an assessment of a claim.
Stabilize daily life without waiting for the legal process
For practical orientation, start with Community Development Council Durham. Explain urgent needs first, including temporary accommodation, food, school or language support. Ask which programs can serve your present status and whether the worker can make a direct referral. If you have a sponsor or another assigned support worker, clarify who is already responsible for which tasks.
Use food and emergency assistance if today’s essentials are missing. For longer-term housing navigation, the Housing Help Durham — CDCD listing gives a separate contact. Neither is a substitute for immediate shelter intake when you have nowhere safe to stay tonight.
Ask about health coverage before a planned appointment
IRCC’s Interim Federal Health Program coverage summary explains limited, temporary coverage for eligible people. Coverage is not a blanket promise that every service is free. Supplemental-benefit co-payments took effect on May 1, 2026; check the current co-payment rules and ask the provider about charges before planned treatment.
Durham Community Health Centre is a local health-service contact to ask about an appropriate intake route. Tell the provider what coverage documents you have and ask what it accepts. For an emergency, seek emergency care rather than waiting for a routine directory reply.
Put this guide into action
Relevant contacts in our directory
Community Development Council Durham
Ask about refugee settlement orientation and practical referrals.
info@cdcd.orgAdekola Olawoye — Pillarstone Law
Ask about refugee-related legal representation and fees.
info@pillarstonelaw.caAlexander Schram — Creighton Law
Ask whether the lawyer can take your particular refugee or immigration matter.
reception@durhamlawyers.caDurham Community Health Centre
Ask about health intake and coverage accepted for the proposed service.
info@durhamchc.caPublic business emails are for routine enquiries, not emergency assistance. Confirm intake, eligibility and fees with the provider.
Sources and further help
This independent guide helps you find services; it does not replace professional advice or an individual eligibility assessment. Report a correction.