CJPME Political Blog, Oct.21, 2016

My organization has joined in the sponsorship of 9 different Syrian refugee families.  Some of the files were submitted as early as 2015; all have been approved; yet not a single refugee has arrived.  There are thousands of sponsoring groups in Canada in a position identical to ours. 

This position paper discusses several points regarding how the Canadian government should handle the Syrian refugees.

Montreal, Dec. 11, 2015 – Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East (CJPME) joins with other Canadians in welcoming the first group of refugees from Syria under the Liberal government’s new policy.  In a symbolic inauguration of the government’s new Syrian refugee initiative, 163 refugees arrived in Toronto late Thursday night.  CJPME had been critical for years of the previous government’s parsimonious and closed-minded attitude toward Syrian refugees.  As such, the approach of the new Liberal government is refreshing, and CJPME views the first wave of Syrian refugees as the launch an exciting new era for Canada.  

Many in Canada have been angered by the Canadian government's reluctance to help Syrian refugees, whether via humanitarian aid, or via the acceptance of refugees in Canada.  Canadians should demand that their politicians do more to concretely help Syrian refugees, and to put pressure on ministers to act promptly and compassionately.  Using the form below, please write to your MP, and let him/her know of your demand that more be done for Syrian refugees.  Stephen Harper and other party leaders will also be copied on the email.

CJPME Political Blog, June 3, 2015: Many in Canada would be surprised how refugee-unfriendly Canada has become over the last two decades.  For CJPME, the issue was clearly highlighted when we observed the extreme attitudes of the government vis-à-vis Syrian refugees.  And while some would blame the Harper government alone for Canada’s new anti-refugee policies, previous Liberal governments also share much of the blame.

Montreal, December 15, 2014  — News sources revealed late last week that Canada was considering a resettlement program for Syrian refugees which would discriminate based on religion.  When questioned in the House of Commons on Friday, Parliamentary Secretary Costas Menegakis stated, “We will prioritize persecuted ethnic and religious minorities, those at demonstrated risk, and we will not apologize for that.”  Ultimately, since the majority of Syrians are Muslim, the consequence of this policy would be to disfavour Syrian Muslims.      

Montreal, December 10, 2014  — CJPME joins with other Canadian and international groups in lamenting Canada’s miserly approach to Syrian refugees.  These admonishments come as the UN High Commission on Refugees (UNHCR) made a plea yesterday in Geneva for wealthy countries to increase their refugee resettlement commitments.  While Canada has confirmed its willingness to resettle Syrian refugees, it made no new announcements to increase the number of Syrian refugees it would resettle.  With its promise to accept a mere 1300 Syrians – out of which only 457 have made their way to Canada – CJPME, Amnesty International Canada and others have condemned Canada for its ungenerous and insensitive approach to Syrian refugees.    

Montreal, June 20, 2014 - Following suggestions in Canadian media that Canada is reneging on its promise to resettle Syrian refugees, Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East (CJPME) urges the government to step up. CJPME—a grassroots citizens’ group—strongly urges the government to open its doors to some of the 2.4 million Syrians displaced by the internal armed conflict, now in its third year. “The government must stop dithering. 

Montreal, January 23, 2014  — Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East (CJPME) implores the Canadian government to address the Syrian civil war with urgency and greater substance.  Earlier this week, a report by renowned international war crimes judges, with the aid of forensic scientists, confirmed evidence of massive torture of prisoners committed by the Assad regime.  The thousands of photos document severe beatings, starvation and strangulation. This report makes meaningful involvement by Canada even more urgent.  Canada must press both sides of the Syrian conflict to respect human rights and international humanitarian law.