Increased hiring from outside the province to curb labour shortages has helped population growth over the last few years. Laura Aguirre Polo is the manager of Amal Unite & Empower in St. John’s, a non-profit that helps newcomers find employment. Memorial University graduate student Nour Khalil’s research compares the experiences of Syrian refugees in Newfoundland and Labrador and Ottawa. Nour Khalil says the increased number of refugees and other newcomers to Newfoundland and Labrador would benefit from additional settlement agencies. This article is part of The Independent’s Coming to Newfoundland & Labrador series.