Syrian refugee crisis shows Canada’s conscience eroding

Fourteen years have gone by since 9/11—an event so dramatic it set into motion nearly a decade of what many have identified as an unnecessary war. The shooting that took place within our Parliamentary precinct will have taken place one year ago next month. Each of these horrifying events and others like them have given rise to increased border security, dramatically different governance and a much wider riftdividing the west from much of the developing world, particularly the Middle East. Consequently over time, Canadian foreign relations have decreased in generosity. Fear, it would seem, has fogged our national conscience. In a socio-political climate where Fatima Kurdi finds herself holding the whole world, including the Canadian government responsible for the death of her nephews and sister-in-law, you have to wonder just how effective our responses to these incidents have been. Many of us have been told to withhold the urge to politicize this issue or throw blame at any one party or leader in particular. But the fact is, it has become nearly impossible to defend the romantic notion that Canadians are the generous, welcoming “multicultural” community we once were. One might go so far as to say we’ve regressed to a state of xenophobic relations, and I would argue that our incumbent government is a huge part of this problem. A passport renewal or tax return, or any government application for that matter, is no walk in the park. Imagine having to navigate similar bureaucratic processes when the lives of those you care most about depends on it. Or how much more daunting a task this might be for someone fleeing war, famine, crisis—separated by an ocean from their family, far from their native language and a million miles from familiar cultural norms. As Tima Kurdi wept over the loss of her nephew as pictured in that infamous photograph, the world wept with her. Having given up on the possibility that they might seek refuge in Canada, young Alan, his brother and his parents were attempting to flee Syria when their boat capsized between Turkey and Greece resulting in everyone but the father drowning in the Aegean Sea. Not unlike the Kurdi family, there have been thousands of casualties this year trying to reach Europe by sea while fleeing conflict. And yet, our government has spent less time negotiating practical solutions to this refugee crisis or stepping in with humanitarian aid than it has concocting islamophobic legislation to suppress Muslim culture and practise within our own borders and ramming through impulsive and controversial anti-terrorism bills (see: C-51). In the interest of covering up this shoddy, paranoid governance, the Conservative Party would have you believe that there is no refugee crisis. We’re doing everything we need to. As long as we remain on the defensive (or offensive, depending on how you look at it), keep our borders secure, keep the “terror” elsewhere (or “barbaric cultural practises” as the Cabinet loves to call it), then everyone can sleep soundly at night. And, as Imran Khan eloquently pointed out this week for Al Jeezera: “The architects of the Iraq war still say their actions had nothing to do with the current crisis.” According to Stephen Harper, Canada’s immigration and refugee system is actually “the most generous in the world.” Our Citizenship and Immigration Minister, Chris Alexander, apparently thinks “we’ve done our part,” and if we have a problem, it’s the mainstream media’s fault for not covering the issue sooner. In reality, the Canadian Council for Refugees reports that Canada is home to just 1.5 per cent of the world’s refugees. Sweden, Germany, Switzerland, Israel and Austria are all ahead of us according to the Council’s 2012 research. Immediately after the image of deceased Alan Kurdi emerged, the council reiterated its call for Canada to “open its door” to Syrian refugees. Yes, the threat of terrorism is real and yes, allowing a refugee to enter our country who might be tied to the radical jihadist influence is a potential threat. The more immediate and devastating threat? Eroding our identity on the national stage by turning our back on the world. Surely if we can afford to criss-cross our federal leaders across the country in airplanes for more than a month, we can afford to surrender the public funds to open our borders, expedite our refugee screening processes, and reach out to help our wounded global community. Otherwise, we may as well mourn the open-armed, altruistic conscience with which we once identified—just as we have the little Kurdi brothers. Jenn Jefferys is a freelance writer and digital communications strategist living in Ottawa. She is a former federal NDP staffer and the former research and communications adviser to Equal Voice National. You can follow her on Twitter at @JennJefferys or reach her by email. news@hilltimes.com The Hill Times

Syrian refugee crisis shows Canada’s conscience eroding

It has become nearly impossible to defend the romantic notion that Canadians are the generous, welcoming 'multicultural' community we once were, writes Jenn Jefferys.

How can Ontario achieve net zero, with greater energy reliability and resilience? Roadmap to a clean energy future

Assembly of First Nations elects Cindy Woodhouse as new national chief

PROC study should address ‘politicization of the speakership,’ says former parliamentary counsel

Former Parliamentarians Association seeks cash injection to boost presence, establish mentorship program

CUSMA and friends? Costa Rican trade minister makes pitch to join North American pact

Arctic security depends on follow-through on NORAD modernization promises, say defence experts

Keep compassion for Syria alive

Refugee crisis not solved yet; let’s get better understanding of it

Top 10 observations about Syrian refugee crisis response

Politics This Morning: Government to announce Syrian refugee intake rules

The role Canada should be playing in Syrian refugee crisis

News

Get free news updates

Opinion

Submit a guest opinion article

resources

Advertise

subscribe

get help

Syrian refugee crisis shows Canada’s conscience eroding

It has become nearly impossible to defend the romantic notion that Canadians are the generous, welcoming 'multicultural' community we once were, writes Jenn Jefferys.

Get The Foreign Policy and Diplomacy Newsletter