Help Canadians with Syrian Relatives Trapped Abroad
The conflict in Syria has claimed more than 70,000 lives. Over one million people have been displaced. Refugee camps in Turkey are overflowing.
No Canadian wants to see loved ones living in those conditions. Our government must help Canadian families to reunite in Canada on a humanitarian basis -- as we have done before, during the Lebanese civil war, following the tsunami in South-East Asia, and following crises in Iraq, the Philippines, and Haiti.
But Citizenship & Immigration Minister Jason Kenney has refused even to meet with representatives of the Canadian-Syrian community. He blamed his inaction on Turkey, claiming that Turkish law did not allow Syrian refugees in that country to come to Canada. The Turkish government rejects this claim.
Enough inaction. It’s time to help these Canadian families reunite on Canadian soil.
We, the undersigned residents of Canada, recognize the following:
- The Syrian conflict has claimed more than 70,000 lives and displaced more than a million civilians.
- Many Canadians are deeply worried for the safety of their relatives in Syrian refugee camps.
- The Conservative Minister of Citizenship and Immigration, Jason Kenney, refuses to meet with the Syrian-Canadian community to discuss family reunification on humanitarian grounds.
Therefore, we call on the Government of Canada to change course and expedite family reunification for Syrian refugees who have relatives in Canada.
