Those seeking asylum in Canada are not breaking any laws


People who are forced to use any means, including walking up a dirt road into Quebec in search of a safe haven, often do not have the option of getting a passport or appropriate visas before escaping their plight.


Canadian law is clear: under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, regardless of how or where they came into the country, those claiming refugee protection cannot be charged with an offence. It is wrong to call asylum seekers “illegals.”


Canada has well-established protocols and processes to handle claimants


When an asylum seeker enters Canada, the process is also clear. After a claimant’s account has been heard, the Immigration and Refugee Board must decide whether that person would be risking their life by returning home.


There are those fleeing conflicts, such as in Syria or South Sudan, and also female survivors of sexual violence. There are girls at risk of forced marriage or female genital mutilation and boys at risk of forcible recruitment in paramilitary groups or criminal gangs. As well, LGBTI individuals and members of religious or ethnic minorities are also among the vulnerable. All of them may be persecuted for who they are and what they stand for. All of them need our protection.


Since the increase in the number of people irregularly crossing into Quebec from New York State last summer, alarmist rhetoric about Canada being overwhelmed by refugees has resurfaced. I have argued, in Parliament and in the media, that this is a dangerous and unfounded narrative that seeks to dehumanize people who flee wars and persecution.


Here are the facts: Canada can manage the numbers


In 2017, 50,000 people claimed asylum in Canada. Last September, in one single day 50,000 Rohingya crossed the muddy Naf River to seek safety in Cox’s Bazar in Bangladesh, with some dying while trying.


In a country as wealthy and well-governed as Canada, 50,000 people is a manageable number. This figures represents less than 0.2 percent of refugees worldwide in 2017.


But numbers are becoming an issue for the frontline countries that accept the majority of asylum seekers. Countries like Uganda, Bangladesh and Mexico that struggle with endemic poverty, have opened their doors to hundreds of thousands of refugees, including legions of children and women escaping violence from criminal gangs.


Canada has rolled out response plans, and is continuing to adjust them. Based on UNHCR’s months of observation and interviews with asylum-seekers, government authorities, and civil society organizations, I hold Canadians in high esteem for their efficient and humane handling of these individuals.


Yet while Canada has the means to put in place adequate services, other countries and communities are struggling with an influx of refugees. A year after the emotional response provoked by images of desperate and exhausted Rohingya, UNHCR has only 40 percent of the funding needed to supply food and basic shelter to hundreds of thousands in need.


Ultimately, behind the numbers, laws and processes, are individual stories. Personal tragedies abound but so do acts of courage and resilience. Every story is unique, but each one connects us to our common humanity.


For all these reasons, it is wrong and irresponsible to instill fears about refugees in Canada. Facts matter. Words matter. Today’s refugee crisis is not here—but it is in countries that border conflict zones in Africa or the Middle East. We can learn from those countries that, despite meagre resources, courageously and proudly welcome hundreds of thousands of refugees.


And I know that we can count on you to reach out to your friends and political leaders to spread the word that you believe that Canada is not facing a crisis. On the contrary, we can do even more to support refugees here and around the globe. R


UNHCR.ca UNHCRCanada UNHCRCanada | 15


©THE CANADIAN PRESS/Graham Hughes


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28