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Aylan Kurdi’s Death Resonates in Canadian Election Campaign Aylan Kurdi’s Death Resonates in Canadian Election Campaign
(4 days later)
OTTAWA — While the photograph of a 3-year-old Syrian boy’s body quickly focused the world’s attention on the migrant crisis in the Middle East and Africa, it has taken on a particular resonance in Canada with the discovery that the boy’s family had been unable to obtain immigration visas.OTTAWA — While the photograph of a 3-year-old Syrian boy’s body quickly focused the world’s attention on the migrant crisis in the Middle East and Africa, it has taken on a particular resonance in Canada with the discovery that the boy’s family had been unable to obtain immigration visas.
The death of the boy, Aylan Kurdi, who drowned with his brother and mother off the coast of Turkey, has also become an emotional issue in the Canadian election.The death of the boy, Aylan Kurdi, who drowned with his brother and mother off the coast of Turkey, has also become an emotional issue in the Canadian election.
Even before the plight of the Kurdi family flashed across social media, opposition politicians, along with advocacy and religious groups, had strongly criticized the refugee policies of Prime Minister Stephen J. Harper’s Conservative government.Even before the plight of the Kurdi family flashed across social media, opposition politicians, along with advocacy and religious groups, had strongly criticized the refugee policies of Prime Minister Stephen J. Harper’s Conservative government.
In January, the government promised that it would accept 10,000 refugees from Syria over three years. But over the next several months, immigration officials and Chris Alexander, the citizenship and immigration minister, repeatedly declined to disclose how people had been admitted. In January, the government promised that it would accept 10,000 refugees from Syria over three years. But over the next several months, immigration officials and Chris Alexander, the citizenship and immigration minister, repeatedly declined to disclose how many people had been admitted.
On Thursday the department said 1,074 Syrian refugees had settled in Canada as of Aug. 24.On Thursday the department said 1,074 Syrian refugees had settled in Canada as of Aug. 24.
“At the end of the 1970s and in the 1980s, Canada did an amazing job of taking in refugees,” said Alexandra Kotyk, project manager of Lifeline Syria, a refugee settlement group in Toronto. “I really think we’re not living up to our normal humanitarian performance now. The government seems to be leaving a lot of the responsibility to private groups.”“At the end of the 1970s and in the 1980s, Canada did an amazing job of taking in refugees,” said Alexandra Kotyk, project manager of Lifeline Syria, a refugee settlement group in Toronto. “I really think we’re not living up to our normal humanitarian performance now. The government seems to be leaving a lot of the responsibility to private groups.”
Ms. Kotyk said that it has never been precisely clear how many refugees the government itself would sponsor. But she said that her group understood that the government was counting on private sponsorships for about 60 percent of the total.Ms. Kotyk said that it has never been precisely clear how many refugees the government itself would sponsor. But she said that her group understood that the government was counting on private sponsorships for about 60 percent of the total.
While no firm numbers are available, there seems to be an abundance of would-be sponsors. Yet over the past few months many of them have complained that the Ottawa government’s rules are frustrating their efforts.While no firm numbers are available, there seems to be an abundance of would-be sponsors. Yet over the past few months many of them have complained that the Ottawa government’s rules are frustrating their efforts.
Brian Dyck, the national migration and resettlement program director for the Mennonite Central Committee Canada, said that migrants’ claims often dragged on because of the complexity of those rules.Brian Dyck, the national migration and resettlement program director for the Mennonite Central Committee Canada, said that migrants’ claims often dragged on because of the complexity of those rules.
He added: “It seems like more resources in processing applications need to be put into place. In some places the backlog is many years, and people languish as they wait.”He added: “It seems like more resources in processing applications need to be put into place. In some places the backlog is many years, and people languish as they wait.”
Under Canada’s system, there are two broad forms of private sponsorship. Groups like the United Church of Canada, the Mennonite Central Committee Canada and the Salvation Army are registered as sponsors, a step which eases some of the bureaucracy. Groups of five people who are willing to sign financial guarantees may also sponsor an individual or family. They are required to demonstrate that they can provide roughly 27,000 Canadian dollars to support a family of four refugees.Under Canada’s system, there are two broad forms of private sponsorship. Groups like the United Church of Canada, the Mennonite Central Committee Canada and the Salvation Army are registered as sponsors, a step which eases some of the bureaucracy. Groups of five people who are willing to sign financial guarantees may also sponsor an individual or family. They are required to demonstrate that they can provide roughly 27,000 Canadian dollars to support a family of four refugees.
It appears that the Kurdi family attempted to obtain entry to Canada under the latter type of program. Ms. Kotyk said the program requires that people seeking to come to Canada from Turkey first be declared refugees by the Turkish government. She said that was often a difficult or impossible condition to fulfill.It appears that the Kurdi family attempted to obtain entry to Canada under the latter type of program. Ms. Kotyk said the program requires that people seeking to come to Canada from Turkey first be declared refugees by the Turkish government. She said that was often a difficult or impossible condition to fulfill.
As Mr. Alexander, a former diplomat, broke away from campaigning in suburban Toronto to make his way back to Ottawa to review the family’s case, opposition politicians renewed attacks on the government over its handling of refugees.As Mr. Alexander, a former diplomat, broke away from campaigning in suburban Toronto to make his way back to Ottawa to review the family’s case, opposition politicians renewed attacks on the government over its handling of refugees.
“You don’t get to suddenly discover compassion in the middle of an election campaign,” Justin Trudeau, the Liberal leader, told reporters in Quebec, adding that the government had long ignored pleas from aid groups, academics and others for more action.“You don’t get to suddenly discover compassion in the middle of an election campaign,” Justin Trudeau, the Liberal leader, told reporters in Quebec, adding that the government had long ignored pleas from aid groups, academics and others for more action.
“The older kid could be — could have been starting school in Canada next week if we had acted,” Tom Mulcair, the leader of the New Democratic Party, said at a news conference. “This is a bureaucratic trap we’re following into it.”“The older kid could be — could have been starting school in Canada next week if we had acted,” Tom Mulcair, the leader of the New Democratic Party, said at a news conference. “This is a bureaucratic trap we’re following into it.”
Mr. Harper called the image of the dead boy “heart-wrenching” at an event in British Columbia. While he said that Canada would immediately accept more refugees, he added that it and other nations must “fight the root cause of the problem, and that is the violent campaign being waged against these people by ISIS” through military action.Mr. Harper called the image of the dead boy “heart-wrenching” at an event in British Columbia. While he said that Canada would immediately accept more refugees, he added that it and other nations must “fight the root cause of the problem, and that is the violent campaign being waged against these people by ISIS” through military action.
“We need to help people who are actually there and can’t get away,” Mr. Harper said. “And part of the way we need to help them is to stop the awful violence that is being directed at them, displacing them and killing them.”“We need to help people who are actually there and can’t get away,” Mr. Harper said. “And part of the way we need to help them is to stop the awful violence that is being directed at them, displacing them and killing them.”