The immigration of Syrian refugees into Canada has evolved into a project many Canadian organizations are a part of, according to speakers at last Tuesday’s Gregg Centre forum.
This project relies on Canadians from all over, whether it is the military, a civilian organization, or private sponsors looking to support a family. But it all starts with the military.
“The people going through the refugee process have most likely had a negative experience with soldiers,” said Major Willis at the UNB forum. “The very first people they see in the process are Canadian soldiers with a smile on their face. So we are showing that the soldiers in Canada … are here to help.”
According to Major Drew Willis, he and his men were sent to Syria’s neighbouring countries to assist with ‘biometric collection and data entry’ to help process the refugees. However, many of the soldiers also worked to befriend the children, to make the experience easier for them and their parents.
It’s not cheap to bring refugees over. Many refugees receive enough funds from the government to last them their first year in the country, but many others find support from private donors, such as St Thomas University’s “Group of Five.”
The Group of Five is a group of faculty members on campus who have worked to raise enough money to support a family of refugees as they come to Canada, according to STU’s Office of Research Coordinator Danielle Connell.
“We believe that we have raised enough to date to sponsor a four or five-member family for one year,” said Connell.
After the refugees are cleared to enter the country, the next job is finding them a home to live in, and some basic necessities to get them started.
The Multicultural Association of Fredericton is one of the civilian led organizations who are working to settle Syrian refugees in Canada. They gather donations, organize welcome dinners, and even find homes for new refugees, according to executive director Lisa Bamford De Gante.
“Not only is this a government of Canada project, this is a Canadian project,” said De Gante the same forum.
The UNB forum also offered perspective from the refugee point of view, in the form of Layla Rahmeh, a Syrian woman who has been living in Canada for almost four years. She originally came to Canada to live with family she had here after the conflict started, and it became too dangerous to live in her home country.
“My experience might be different, but at the same time it is similar on the emotional phase,” said Rahmeh. “I never wanted to leave Syria, and if I had the chance to go back to Syria at any point, up till this moment, I would go directly back.”
“The bottom line is these people do not want to come anywhere, not because Canada is not wonderful, but because it is not home.”
