Since 2012, Syrian Canadians have been calling on the Canadian government to accept and support refugees fleeing from the Syrian civil war. While Canada had been one of the largest providers of humanitarian aid, committing some $630 million, it took the tragic death of three-year-old Alan Kurdi to galvanize the Canadian population into demanding more.
The Syrian refugee crisis became a contentious issue in the campaign leading up to the 2015 federal election.
With the election of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and the Liberal party, an estimated 7,000 refugees have arrived and settled in Canadian communities across the country. The first group of 163 privately sponsored refugees landed at Pearson International Airport in Toronto on Dec. 10 2015, greeted by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Canadian citizens bearing flags.
The warmth expressed by Prime Minister Trudeau, as well as the efforts made by Canadian citizens, have made international headlines. Since the initial wave of refugees, the Liberal party government has had to slow down efforts for a multitude of reasons, namely that the government has only received approximately 8,400 applications. In addition, the government has since released that the estimated budget for resettlement has been raised from $337 million to $678 million over six years. The government has therefore been unable to meet the 10,000 resettled refugees milestone before the end of 2015, citing many different factors, including weather, diplomatic issues, medical screenings, and Syrians not willing to leave their homes as quickly as expected.
Regardless of bureaucratic hiccups, Syrian families arriving in Canada have described their new lives as Canadian citizens as being close to “paradise.” On the day of the first arrival of refugees, the Toronto Star’s front page was dedicated to welcoming the refugees to Canada, stating “You’re with family now.”
Public opinion has been overwhelmingly favourable, with many communities coming together to donate funds, clothing, furniture, and home furnishings. School boards across Canada have lept to the challenge of incorporating refugee children into classrooms, creating specialized programs, visual dictionaries, and peer-support systems.
Not every Canadian is pleased with the influx of Syrian arrivals, however. On Jan. 8, 2016, at a welcome event outside of a Muslim Association of Canada Centre in Calgary, a man on a bicycle sprayed pepper-spray into a crowd of people. Around 30 people waiting outside of the centre needed medical attention.
Police spokesman Sgt. Randy Fincham said that the police have begun investigations, labeling the event a hate crime. Canada’s immigration minister, John McCallum, said that the incident was an isolated event, and is not indicative of Canada’s overall impression of refugees. Defence minister Harjit Sajjan echoed McCallum’s words, and said that the refugees he met with were resilient and happy.
Prime Minister Trudeau quickly condemned the attacks, tweeting on Jan. 9: “This isn’t who we are—and doesn’t reflect the warm welcome Canadians have offered.”
Tima Kurdi, aunt of young Alan Kurdi, has assured Canadians that the incident was a one-off event, and in no way reflects the overall public opinion of Syrian refugees in Canada. She says the support Canadians has shown is “unbelievable” and that the general population should not be blamed for the actions of a small minority.
Regardless of these small acts of hate, Canadians will not stop in their efforts to welcome the new influx of Canadian citizens. Prime Minister Trudeau said it best: “You are home. Welcome home.”