The recent anti-immigrant demonstration in downtown Hamilton should be deeply disturbing to everyone; but what could an inclusive response look like in the face of xenophobic extremism?
Initial reactions to the far-right demonstration outside Jackson Square late last year on Nov. 9, 2024, where masked protestors held up a sign calling for "mass deportations now" were unified; hate has no home in Hamilton.
This message might ring hollow however, if instead of just words, we examine the actions of Canada as a whole. Far from out of place, in our current political climate, this anti-immigrant extremism seems right at home.
The current federal government is remarkably unpopular. Headed by a Prime Minister with dismal approval ratings, the federal Liberals have spent the last year attempting to claw back support they’ve lost to the Conservative’s 18-point poll lead.
While Prime Minister Trudeau has pivoted to address many of the Conservative’s main appeals, the housing crisis and inflation are much harder issues to address immediately. Reducing immigration numbers and preying on vulnerable people for approval is much faster.
Whether it be the dramatic rise in deportations, recent last-minute decreases to the number of new permanent residents, or the new cap on international students, the government has found a scapegoat in temporary residents.
The government is well aware of the risks these policies impose on temporary residents. Pushed into instability by a lack of documentation or the constant threat of losing it, temporary residents are at risk of exploitation. Many are having their wages stolen, being forced to work in unsafe conditions, or becoming victims of an epidemic of sexual harassment.
The bare minimum to ensure against these risks, as recognized both by migrant activists and Canadian experts, is permanent residency status.
Why then, in a political environment increasingly built on xenophobia from our two largest political parties, would anyone be shocked that protestors feel emboldened to call for mass deportations in downtown Hamilton? A more important question to ask however is, how can students change this reality?
Migrant issues are worker’s issues, as was succinctly pointed out in the Hamilton and District Labour Council’s response to the recent demonstration. Workers with citizenship have infinitely more in common with temporary residents working to survive than they do with Canadian citizens who get wealthy profiteering off of their exploitation.
Worker’s with citizenship have infinitely more in common with temporary residents working to survive than they do with Canadian citizens who get wealthy profiteering off of their exploitation.
Shut out from formal political power without a vote however, migrant activists are disempowered from engaging in the formal politics that Canadian citizens are granted a voice in.
These organizations, like the many affiliated with the Migrant Rights Network, or the Southern Ontario local Naujawan Support Network, do important, invaluable work organizing temporary workers to fight for their rights. These organizations do all of this despite their exclusion from formal politics in Canada.
More than half of current temporary residents in Canada are international students, or graduates here on postgraduate work permits. Students with citizenship have the unique ability to bridge two worlds inclusively and productively.
By helping to connect international students to organizations best capable of supporting them and developing ties with these organizations to advocate on behalf of their concerns at local, provincial and even national levels, students can build political relationships and work in solidarity for a more inclusive Canada.
Campus organizations of NDP students for instance, are granted voting delegates to NDP conventions, where that party, which at least claims to represent workers, votes on important policy matters and the future of the party.
With student’s adamant support, there could be at least one federal party that actively supports temporary resident’s needs in direct collaboration and dialogue with them. By establishing themselves as an interface between these important organizations and a powerful party, student’s may be able to affect change.
All is not hopeless. The Hamilton and District Labour Council’s response to the recent demonstrations illustrate the willingness of other organizations, with power both inside the NDP (local labour councils are also granted voting delegates) and within the local community to stand up for the rights of temporary residents. The recent rise in xenophobia is not inevitable nor undefeatable.
Migrant issues are labour issues. By working in concert with both migrant workers and the political infrastructure of Canadian labour, caring students make a difference. Our attention and advocacy can matter and we must amplify our voices to ensure it does.
Federal government announces it will approve fewer international students, in wake of the housing crisis and universities taking financial advantage of international students
On Jan. 22, Marc Miller, minister of immigration, refugees and citizenship, announced that smaller cap on the number of international student permits to be approved will come into effect this year.
In an online news release on Jan. 22, the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada stated that about 360,000 new international study permits will be approved in 2024, which is a 35 per cent reduction from last year. The IRCC also stated that while international students are an integral part of Canadian society and the economy, they are currently being taken advantage of by some educational institutions aiming to earn more revenue from the higher tuition international students pay.
“Some institutions have significantly increased their intakes to drive revenues, and more students have been arriving in Canada without the proper support they need to succeed,” stated the IRCC online news release.
Some institutions have significantly increased their intakes to drive revenues, and more students have been arriving in Canada without the proper support they need to succeed.
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, Jan. 22 online news release
The news release also cited that increasingly high numbers of admitted international students are putting pressure on housing services.
This new international student cap coincides with Miller’s December 2023 announcement that access to funds of at least $20,635 are needed for international students to study in Canada. This is double the previous requirement and this amount is in addition to the cost of student’s tuition and travel expenses.
Miller stated that this decision aims to protect international students that cannot afford to live in Canada from academic institutions aiming to take advantage of them.
These new requirements were also justified by Miller in light of the current housing shortage, the effects of which are increasing in severity for both international and domestic students as enrolment for both groups continues to rise.
"Through the decisive measures announced today, we are striking the right balance for Canada and ensuring the integrity of our immigration system while setting students up for the success they hope for," stated Miller, in the Jan. 22 online news release.
Through the decisive measures announced today, we are striking the right balance for Canada and ensuring the integrity of our immigration system while setting students up for the success they hope for.
Marc Miller, minister of immigration, refugees and citizenship, in Jan. 22 online news release
Under the new federal limit, provincial limits have been established according to each's population. As a result, provinces with the greatest numbers of universities and hence international students will likely see the greatest decrease in approved permits.
The cap does not apply to graduate students, nor to elementary and high school students. The cap also does not apply to students that already hold a study permit, so current international students are not at risk of having their ability to study in Canada revoked.
This cap will remain in effect for two years and the number of new international students to be approved in 2025 will be decided at the end of this year.
This is an ongoing story.
The Hamilton-based project Filipinas of HamONT is using interviews and surveys to find and connect the community
There are not enough spaces in Hamilton where BIPOC feel that they belong. BIPOC in the Steel City often feel disconnected from their heritage, their history and their community.
This is a problem that Anabelle Ragsag and Jessica Vinluan are hoping that folks in Hamilton with Filipino heritage will one day no longer have to face. They are helping to tackle the problem with their community-engaged project, Filipinas of HamONT.
Ragsag is an author and educator with a background in politics who immigrated to Canada from the Philippines in 2009. Vinluan is a teacher, the founder of BIPOC youth organization Redefine Twenty and a second-generation Filipina-Canadian who was born and raised in Hamilton.
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With their different backgrounds, they have made their project Filipinas of HamONT for all Filipinas in the city of Hamilton, whether they were born and raised in the city, a naturalized citizen, a long-timer, a newcomer or just passing by as is the case for many students.
They have made their project Filipinas of HamONT for all Filipinas in the city of Hamilton, whether they were born and raised in the city, a naturalized citizen, a long-timer, a newcomer or just passing by as is the case for many students.
The pair met in early 2020 at a Reaching for Power workshop, an initiative that teaches BIPOC women and non-binary individuals how to make a positive change in their communities. After the workshop series ended, Ragsag and Vinluan began in June 2020 to think about creating a project for the Filipina community. In fall 2020, they received a microgrant for the project and began sharing it with the larger community in November.
The project initially consisted of a survey designed to map where Filipinas in Hamilton are located. The survey asks for participants’ demographic information including: their highest completed education level; the province in the Philippines that any member of their family is from; if they are working, the industry in which they are employed; and the effect that COVID-19 has had on their livelihood.
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The survey results will be shared to show where Filipinas in Hamilton are. As Filipinas began immigrating to Hamilton in the 1960s to build the health sector, Ragsag and Vinluan anticipated that many of the Filipinas that participate in their survey will work in this area. However, they began to find Filipinas outside of this sector when they decided to complement their survey with interviews with Hamilton-based Filipinas.
“[E]specially being born and raised in Hamilton, I didn't really think that I could see Filipinas in different spaces and I think to be able to see that . . . like, “oh, you're not just in the health sector, there's other avenues that maybe I can take if I see myself in them” . . . [The project is] validating that it's not just in the health sector, but like other aspects as well and other spaces that Filipinos are taking up,” said Vinluan.
"[The project is] validating that it's not just in the health sector, but like other aspects as well and other spaces that Filipinos are taking up," said Vinluan.
Ragsag and Vinluan have completed eight of the 10 interviews that they aimed to do. They shared the first interview on Nov. 13, 2020 and will continue to share them until March 2021. The interview series neatly exemplifies the intention behind the project: they want to share stories of leadership, empowerment and living between two cultures.
“I grew up and it was very white-dominated spaces. I think that, as a Filipina, I felt like I didn't belong in a lot of the spaces . . . I felt like I couldn't have these kinds of conversations around dual identity and things that I feel like I had difficulties navigating. So, when Anabelle brought up the idea of starting Filipinas of HamONT through the YWCA project, I was so excited because I know there's a lot of these kinds of community collectives in Toronto . . . but I also feel like I don't belong because it's Toronto and I'm from Hamilton,” explained Vinluan.
Based on the feedback from some of their interviewees, Ragsag and Vinluan are working towards running online events that will enable them to continue the important conversations they began in the interviews. They are considering running a book club where they would read works by Filipino authors and hosting workshops on the history of the Philippines.
“I saw that a lot of second and multiple generations of those with Filipino roots have this thirst to know more about what it is like. What does it mean if I don't speak Filipino, if I don't speak Tagalog, am I still Filipino? Because of my teaching background . . . I thought that's something that I can do. That is something that I can contribute to the community,” said Ragsag.
“I saw that a lot of second and multiple generations of those with Filipino roots have this thirst to know more about what it is like. What does it mean if I don't speak Filipino, if I don't speak Tagalog, am I still Filipino?" said Ragsag.
However, in starting this project, Ragsag and Vinluan do not intend to take away from the work done by established Filipino organizations in Hamilton. They recognize the importance of churches, cultural gatherings, all-Filipino sports tournaments and student organizations such as the Filipino McMaster Student Association. They aim to work alongside these organizations to connect the Filipina community.
Despite the name, Ragsag and Vinluan are not completely closing the project to woman-identifying individuals. The project is intended to evolve with community needs.
“We see that our being here in Canada is rooted to that history of a feminized migration . . . So I think it started from there but at the same time, the project is an evolving one – it's not set in stone — and we are aware that identities are fluid, as well . . . the role of those who don't identify as male or female have been there in history but they [were] erased by colonization. That is one of the topics that we want to discuss: what is it in our history that was erased? Can we uncover them?” said Ragsag.
Ragsag and Vinluan hope that this project will enable them and other Hamilton-based Filipinas to continue learning more about their history and heritage. By having these conversations with their community and connecting with established organizations, the project will help ensure that every Filipina in Hamilton feels they belong.
By: Elizabeth DiEmanuele
The Student Success Centre and Graduate Studies have introduced new positions for 2019-2020 to support the academic, personal and professional success of international students.
“Enhancing the experience and academic success of our international students is a shared responsibility, which is why we are excited about creating a campus-wide support network around our students,” says Gina Robinson, assistant dean of Student Affairs and director of the Student Success Centre. “We want international students to know that we all care about their individual needs and are working together to get them to the right services on campus.”
Ana Pereira has supported McMaster’s international students for eight years. In this role, she helps students adjust to their new lives at McMaster and in Canada through transitional services, personal development and the International Student Buddy Program.
“Being an immigrant myself, I understand many of the challenges facing students and love helping them feel comfortable in this new place they now call ‘home’,” Ana says.
Francesca Hernandez joins the team in this role and will focus on establishing campus-wide partnerships that can support and contribute to the development and success of international graduate students.
“We want to ensure that the academic, social and cultural needs of international graduate students are met through new programming and engagement opportunities,” Francesca says.
“We also want to expand promotion of existing programs and services so that students and their families are aware of supports offered by McMaster and the broader community. We want them to enjoy a successful journey in their new country.”
In addition to programs and services, one-on-ones are also available. Andrew Staples, student success coach, will support both graduate and international students with their academic concerns, financial difficulties, transition, and navigation of university life. This position will support students on an individual basis and provide a more seamless support system.
Andrew shares, “We want to make sure students feel supported and welcomed during their time at McMaster, so we are encouraging students to ask questions and share any concerns they may be experiencing.”
Lajipe Sanwoolu, immigration and mobility advisor, can provide immigration consulting from both an inbound and outbound perspective, including international and domestic students who are interested in working in Canada or abroad.
“International students contribute greatly to our community,” says Lajipe. “It is important and beneficial that we continue to provide them with opportunities to contribute and develop themselves.”
International students provide an invaluable knowledge and perspective, both in and outside of the classroom. Lajipe’s role will support developing relationships between international students and employers, providing education about international hiring and dispelling hiring misconceptions.
Appointments with Andrew Staples and Lajipe Sanwoolu are bookable through OSCARplus.
For those interested in collaborating on initiatives to support international student success, email iss@mcmaster.ca.
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By: Fabiha Islam
I was born on a rainy afternoon in the city of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. My birth was somewhat atypical as rainfall is the last thing you’d expect from Saudi Arabia’s dry and hot weather. Strangely, the rain led to many of my relatives making the comment that the desert might not be the place for me.
Unbelievable but true, a simple brochure from my father’s workplace about one of the world’s top universities turned my life upside-down. I got to know about this amazing university with cutting-edge research opportunities known as McMaster, and wanted to be there.
My endless insisting finally made my parents agree to send their daughter to a completely different country in the farthest continent from home.
In the airport, my parents were concerned if I’d be able to undergo the immigration processes myself, as travelling alone wasn’t exactly what a women In Saudi Arabia would normally do.
On my first day in Canada, I faced an unworldly snowstorm. Snow always fascinated me since the only place I would ever see it was in movies. However, little did I know of the harsh weather the beautiful snow brings with it.
When I saw McMaster in person for the very first time, the word “home” was the first thing to come to my mind. The campus had a sense of deep intimacy as it covered a beautiful, little area with all of its buildings so close together.
Despite being covered in snow, everything on campus looked beautiful, and I knew that I made the right choice.
I lived in Les Prince Hall in my first year and was proud of myself for being able to live, eat and even walk alone, without my parents around. Saudi Arabia never let women go out without any assistance, so it may seem strange that I hadn’t even walked alone to the corner store next to my house until coming to McMaster.
Although I didn’t have any problems with the language since I was brought up in an English-speaking environment, it took time to adapt to the weather and cultural differences. I struggled quite a bit in my first days due to constant snowstorms, icy roads, different food and how everything goes quiet after 9:00 p.m.
Back in Saudi Arabia, the city would wake up after 9:00 p.m. as the desert was burning hot during daytime, restricting any outdoor activity. Entertainment was very different from what I experienced before and so initially, I actually struggled to have fun.
In my opinion, cultural differences will forever exist but it is not what should controls our sense of closeness and familiarity. In a new culture, it is crucial to be open to exploring new ideas and trying to find out specific things from the new environment which are suited to your own expectations.
I developed a more positive attitude and felt at home when exploring made me realize that there isn’t any major difference after all.
A major difference is only when there is a change in the key component of our survival, that is, human interaction. Despite different language, food and weather, human beings were always the same to me.
The way you perceive a person is completely subjective and depends on our own minds other than any certain culture and fortunately, my mind and thoughts were still unchanged.
I would like to thank McMaster University for being so dear, inclusive and family-like. The incredible openness and friendly attitude of the campus community makes me feel completely “at home” despite being miles away from my family!
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By: Andrew Mrozowski
For many immigrants, integrating into Canadian society poses challenges. Hamilton Artists Inc. on James Street North consistently works with artists of all nationalities but realized that integration could be smoother.
“They were saying ‘We feel like we are not being heard. How do we get our voices out there [into the world]?’,” said Jasmine Mander, coordinator for Hamilton Artists Inc.
The Incoming program was created in order to address these questions and feelings. Designed to connect new refugees and migrants to Hamilton’s art world, Incoming provides artists with a basic understanding of how the art world works, especially on a Canadian scale, as it differs so from other countries.
The Incoming program started off with workshops that teach participants how to write biographies, artists statements and resumes. Hamilton Artist Inc. is also planning on hosting a meet and greet for new refugees and migrant artists as an opportunity to connect with one another and to other working artists.
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The main component of the Incoming program is an exhibition taking place in Hamilton Artists Inc.’s gallery space. All In One Place was curated through an open call that was posted within the community.
“Outreach is difficult because we aren’t just posting in local galleries, we’re posting in places like working centers and providing translations, so it is accessible.” stated Mander.
All In One Place is the culmination of four lifetimes’ worth of experiences represented in four vastly different styles of art. The exhibition features the works of four Hamilton-based artists: Jordi Alfaro who has created large sculptures that are thought provocative within the space; Cesar Correa Cordoba who uses natural materials to create realistic animal sculptures providing a dialogue between man’s relationship with nature; Salwa Issa who paints her investigation of water; and Bassem Alshamali who paints his depiction of the world through space and time.
For Cordoba, his story began in Mexico City. He lived and travelled to different parts of the country as he loved to learn about the diversity that existed within traditional art throughout different regions of Mexico.
“My inspiration is every root and ramification of nature. The traditional handcrafted arts of Mexico, diversity of plants and animals, the rivers, seas, forests, people… everything inspires me,” said Cordoba.
The artist took to using materials he found all around him to create life-like sculptures of owls, hawks and other animals.
“For this particular exhibition, I used nature as my inspiration. The sculptures with dry plants is to me something like a ritual and I feel connected with nature. I get to learn about plants, collect them and try to understand the shape of the universe,” explained Cordoba.
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Although Cordoba has only been in Canada for two years, he hopes that his work can share his Mexican heritage with the rest of Hamilton.
“The most important thing to take away from this exhibition is to enjoy it and think about the connection of diversity, in all levels… ,” said Cordoba.
Alshamali’s story began in Syria but he found himself fleeing to Jordan and Lebanon due to war. His final destination was immigrating to Canada. He was nearly done his PhD in Arts and Archeology in Lebanon before having to immigrate to Canada out of necessity in 2016.
The artist’s work has evolved since his arrival here. He feels free to express his thoughts and opinions without fearing any repercussions.
“I came from a place where the war has torn everything and most of the things that happened were for ideological conflicts! Being safe here taught me to be grateful and appreciate the little things as much as big ones. Through my experience, my story, my art I would like to emphasize that ‘love is wise, hatred is foolish’,” said Alshamali.
“Each artwork has a technical and intellectual time for materializing the ideas into a physical form, though I would say it’s hard to put that implementation into a time frame. Especially since I am a sculptor and I see the painting from a different perspective, a sculptural perspective,” explained Alshamali.
Hamilton Artists Inc. hopes that the Incoming program will be a sustainable way for migrants in Canada to be able to seamlessly integrate into the art community, so they do not have to go into cities such as Toronto and be overshadowed by others.
“We always focus so much on differences,” said Mander, “but if we break it all down, at the end of the day we are so much more alike than we are different. It doesn’t matter where we come from, we’re all together in one place.”
All in One Place will be on exhibition until March 9th at Hamilton Artists Inc. located at 155 James Street North.
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Since the federal government’s initial announcement of refugee resettlement in Canada, many Syrian refugees have made it to Hamilton; however, the process has been neither short nor easy. Faced with language and cultural barriers, settlement is a process that’s dependent on the help and efforts of the larger community. McMaster students volunteering with Wesley Urban Ministry and professors helping to sponsor families through the 20 for 20 organizations are no strangers to the new members of the Hamilton community. For the rest of us, it is high time we welcome our new neighbours.
20 for 20
The 20 for 20 project was modelled after the approach that Ryerson University took in partnering with Lifeline Syria to sponsor 75 refugee families. At Ryerson, most families are sponsored by groups of five, each including one professor who often singlehandedly contributes $5,000 for their sponsorship group. Since the conception of the equivalent of this initiative in Hamilton, 20 for 20, the organization has undergone major changes.
One month ago, the focus shifted from asking large companies to sponsor a family to approaching smaller business or individuals in the community. The organization also established new team of volunteers called the Resettlement Team. Volunteers under this title will work with the Wesley Urban Ministries to provide assistance to government-assisted refugees already making Hamilton their home.
Hayley Welham, the project manager of the initiative, recognizes this as a better use of volunteer effort.
“A lot of people at McMaster wanted to help immediately, kind of hit the ground running. So we thought the best way to encourage people to stay on for the long haul was to show them that they can make a difference right away.”
The Immigrants Working Center currently has 30 applications for private sponsors on file from Syrian families. Up until now, 22 of these families have been matched with sponsors. The 20 for 20 project is working towards finding sponsors for the remaining eight. Next on the list is a couple with a background in engineering and expecting a child.
When asked about the pressure of time, Welham attests that it has lessened. “There was more of a pressure when we started, because the government was welcoming refugees very quickly. Applications were being turned over every week at the beginning of January. Since we have hit the 25,000 mark, it has slowed down application processing … There is an urgency but not the same as it was before. It’s a long term project.”
“A lot of people at McMaster wanted to help immediately, kind of hit the ground running. So we thought the best way to encourage people to stay on for the long haul was to show them that they can make a difference right away.”
Keep on smiling
Ahmed, a 31-year-old Syrian refugee, arrived to Hamilton 40 days ago. One of many Syrian refugees supported by the government, he has travelled here with his sister and father. His life before stepping on Canadian soil has shaped who he is, and his perspective on his new life in Canada.
At his temporary residence in a Hamilton hotel, Ahmed talks to the 20 for 20 or Wesley Ministries volunteers. But at one point in his life, he was a volunteer himself. For two years, he volunteered in Jordan, providing psychosocial support for International Relief and Development and as a general volunteer for Oxfam. He believes organizations should coordinate volunteers here into groups first for health, second for sports, third for travel and fourth for psychosocial support. Ahmed wishes there was more support in the latter area.
“Me and all my family are happy,” Ahmed said of his arrival in Canada.
“I put a smiley face in Jordan all along the wall. If you came to my office, you would see a smiley face, smiley face … And my backpack, and my laptop, smiley face … Smiling is very important in life. What has happened, you should smile. Maybe you [will] feel better.”
New challenges
Starting anew in a strange country is not easy. Things that come naturally to those who have lived our whole lives in Canada are novel, exciting and also daunting to newcomers. Starting life in Canada is hard, because many things are polar opposites compared to refugees’ native countries, from language, to work, to transportation, to appointments. “Everything is different. I don’t speak my country bad or your country bad, no. Different. Like two brothers, they are not the same.”
Yet the reason refugees were drawn here is apparent. “I think Canada is better than any Arabic country. I am happy for us. Now I can start my life here. I have a plan in my mind that needs three years to be established … It’s so hard. I need support. Everyone needs support because we are strange in this country. For example, when paying for the bus, I don’t ask about transfer. Next time, someone tell me take transfer to come back free. We are strange here, we don’t know anything, but we learn.”
Ahmed attributes much of the ease in the process of acclimatization to McMaster students volunteering with 20 for 20 or Wesley Urban Ministry. By sharing their experience, volunteers can impart knowledge that is not always explicit. A bit of the unfamiliarity is attenuated by volunteers who can share their experiences, acting as liaisons between the refugees and the country they find themselves in. By breaking down the language barrier, volunteers who speak Arabic are further able to establish common ground, to which Ahmed can attest. “If [volunteers] know English and Arabic, I relax when I am in contact with him.”
Basic needs
Starting from the moment that the first refugees landed in Canada, organizations have prioritized housing and health care. For Ahmed, the opportunity for better health care hits close to home. Currently 62 years old, Ahmed’s father suffers from multiple sclerosis. In Jordan or Syria, there were no treatments available to him. Ahmed believes that they have found the treatment here.
While these basic needs are critical pillars in refugee settlement, emphasis has yet to be placed on mobilizing refugees. The possibility of reaccreditation programs for those who come from an educated background is being considered. The focus is starting to shift to education and providing resources beyond basic needs.
We can get used to life here. Maybe in one year, any family can get used to life here and we may not have any problem. The system here is very good. We missed a system.”
Even through daily dialogue in their interactions with refugees, volunteers are able to offer some support in language development. For refugees who are active and seek to learn more about the new environment they find themselves in, they inevitably learn new things every day. Yet many want to go beyond learning how to navigate their surroundings.
Ahmed wishes to return to his studies. “I would love to work in business and management, but I don’t have my certification. I think it’s difficult.”
Ahmed’s love of studying is apparent. “I came with Hayley to [the interview] because I love studying, I love university. If you don’t study, it’s a hard life … In our country, at the doors of the school it reads ‘school is second mom.’ Everyone has two moms: your own, and school.”
Psychosocial support
Welham admits that it can be difficult to predict what will be help people trying to settle in. “I think the hardest thing for the volunteers so far has been identifying where the needs are, because I don’t know if any of the volunteers come from traumatic backgrounds, but I know I don’t. So going into a situation with hundreds of people who probably all have very traumatic histories, not being able to necessarily relate on that level makes it really difficult to identify what the needs are. We can identify the obvious ones, like helping the kids stay active and learn English, but something like psychosocial support isn’t necessarily at the forefront of our minds in terms of services we can provide. You can’t relate to something you haven’t experienced, so it’s hard.”
While they are not always needed, Ahmed stresses the importance of such supports.
“I think it is very important to care about psychosocial [aspects]. Many things happened to families in Syria that were bad. Maybe [they] lost a father, mother or brother. Maybe go to prison. No one knows what has happened, maybe many families don’t speak about it, but many families it hurts inside. They need support psychosocially.”
Ahmed believes the future lies in nurturing the younger generations. “I think kids are all things in life. When kids grow up, they make everything. If we care about kids, in the future, we can relax. If we don’t care about kids, we will have a bad future. Canada is good about this point. Canada teaches kids everything, school, sports, swimming, basketball, everything.”
When asked about the main differences between his home and Canada, Ahmed laughed. “Too much. So much,” he said. “We can get used to life here. Maybe in one year, any family can get used to life here and we may not have any problem. The system here is very good. We missed a system.”
The Syrian Refugee Project will host a Paint Nite fundraiser in May. Funds raised will be in support of a Syrian refugee couple in Iraq with a baby on the way. They are both engineers.
You can learn more about 20 for 20 and how to get involved by visiting their website or Facebook.
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As the Canadian population continues to welcome Syrian refugees into the country, assistance from the Canadian community is needed to aid the Syrian immigrants adjust to their new homes and to live comfortably within their new borders. Having left their homes, families, and belongings behind, many refugees are in need of housing, furniture, food and clothing among other necessities.
Faizan Ashraf has established a new project in Hamilton to do just that. The 20 for 20 project provides many services to refugees, from English language training to information about the labour workforce and location-based orientation. Ashraf was inspired to create this initiative after noticing great efforts made in other parts of Canada to help in the resettlement of refugees. Ashraf began searching for the different ways that he could get involved in the mobilization of resources to make a difference for refugees and modeled 20 for 20 after similar initiatives at Ryerson and Lifeline Syria in Toronto.
The 20 for 20 project will work with sponsors from the community. These local sponsors include both individuals and small businesses, who will financially support refugee families throughout their first year in Canada, while 20 for 20 volunteers will take the lead on helping refugee families settle into their new daily lives.
The 20 for 20 project provides many services to refugees, from English language training to information about the labour workforce and loacation-based orientation.
Despite the title, Ashraf assured that the project is not limited to 20 families. “Twenty families was the initial goal that IWC had established just before we formed our partnership. We decided to continue with the same goal allowing for the flexibility of growth in the future based on our progress. From an operational perspective, working towards bringing 20 refugee families through the community sponsorship model is ideal. It challenges us without straining our resources or putting undue pressure on the volunteer pool,” he explained.
The project has already helped several families. According to Hayley Welham, the spokesperson for the initiative, all the families identified by the IWC are currently benefitting from the project. “The Immigrants Working Centre has secured a group of five sponsors for several refugee families. Once their resettlement applications have been completed, they will be submitted to Citizenship and Immigration Canada for approval,” she said.
Local businesses have been urged to get involved in the project by donating money to help support the families’ financial needs or by choosing to sponsor a family instead. The Hamilton public can also volunteer with the initiatives. Volunteers can help teach English as a second language at a registered agency to the refugees, join a group with five other sponsors and help support a family themselves, and donate clothing and household items to the Salvation Army to be given out to the families. More information about this project and how others can contribute is available on the 20 for 20 project’s website.
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As the refugee crisis continues, with thousands of people fleeing crisis in the Middle East. Canada has been proactive in taking steps to accept Syrian refugees despite citizens’ concerns over security after the horrific Paris attacks orchestrated by ISIS. While it is in Canadian spirit to be accepting and receive these refugees with open arms, there is also the appropriate way of doing so. Trudeau has faced criticism regarding his original plan to bring in 25,000 Syrians by the end of this year, with 51 percent of Canadians disapproving of his plan to settle Syrians across Canada. Since the backlash, Trudeau has backtracked but not necessarily in the most diligent manner. The new refugee settlement plan consists of accepting 25,000 Syrians by the end of February 2016, but the most controversial and illogical aspect of the new plan is the rejection of unaccompanied or single straight adult men.
In an interview with CBC, Trudeau claims that Canada will not be accepting single adult men right away because he claims that the most vulnerable should be given priority. While he says this decision is not final, his statement raises the question of whether vulnerability is really the reason for this decision? If it is, then are these young, single men not more vulnerable to recruitment by ISIS? If one of Canada’s goals is to put an end to ISIS’ terror, then openly discriminating against single Syrian men is not the best way of showing support. In fact, this decision could have serious implications in terms of who ISIS chooses to target during their enrolment process, because the men who feel excluded by a country that claims to be all-embracing may be more inclined to find a home with the terror group. This is not as far-fetched an idea as it may seem, considering the propaganda ISIS uses to draw men and women in. They are made to feel wanted and accepted. This new adjustment to Trudeau’s plan is short-sighted and illogical because it can be argued that single men are just as vulnerable as single women. Perhaps their vulnerabilities manifest differently, but they exist nonetheless.
Another explanation could be that Trudeau’s exclusion of single men is for security reasons. There is a great concern among many Canadians that a mass movement of Syrian refugees into the country could allow terrorists to slip under the radar. Yet, while it may be more common to see male ISIS members in online propaganda videos and on the ground initiating attacks, it is wrong to assume that single men are the most high-risk. Even though the Canadian government has not directly said that this is the reason for excluding single Syrian males, it surely sends a questionable message. Not only is it wrong to discriminate against single men, while men who have families are welcome, it is naïve to think that these men are the only ones capable of working for ISIS undercover and spreading terror in Canada. In fact, one of the suicide bombers in the Paris attacks was 26-year-old female Hasna Aitboulahcen, who also opened fire on police when they approached her flat, with a Kalashnikov assault rifle.
Experts have said that the risk of a terrorist getting into Canada during refugee settlement is slim, but even if it is a concern it should not manifest itself as discrimination against one gender over the other. The reality is that yes, there are risks associated with accepting a large number of refugees in a short period of time. However, a better way of responding to Canadians’ criticisms is to extend the timeline of Syrian integration into Canada. They can still be protected abroad during the process, but there is value in ensuring the settlement of refugees is done in a safe, controlled manner without leaving one group in the dust with no firm promise of acceptance in the near future.
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By: Nimesha Wickramasuriya
The 2011 Syrian civil war has resulted in more than ten million individuals in need of humanitarian assistance. Many have fled to neighboring European countries but some have been denied access. For example, last week Croatia was overwhelmed with the number of refugees entering their country and sent thousands of individuals to the Hungarian border without the assurance that they will be granted safe access. In light of these recent events, I would like to take a look at the Canadian history in refugee assistance and what we can do to alleviate the Syrian refugee crisis.
Canada has a long history of involvement with refugee assistance, even before the country became independent of British rule. In 1776, 3,000 African-American individuals escaping slavery were granted safe passage into Canada. In fact many Canadian citizens can trace their origins in Canada back to humble refugee beginnings, which contributes to the Canadian population’s multicultural blend.
Unfortunately, Canada also has a history of hostility; in 1939, 907 Jews fleeing Nazi persecution boarded a ship called St. Louis and headed to Cuba hoping to escape Germany. The Cuban government, as well as the United States, and other Latin American countries refused to grant them access. As a last resort, they started their journey towards North America hoping Canada would take them in. After a month long voyage at sea, they reached our border only to be refused entrance again as Prime Minister Mackenzie King felt that this was “not a Canadian problem.” They were forced to return back to Germany where all of them were placed in concentration camps, and where 254 of them faced excruciatingly horrible deaths.
This occurred over 75 years ago, and the outcome of St. Louis still haunts our collective consciousness, yet this event did not hinder the hostility of Canadians in the future towards accepting refugees. In 2010, after the end of the Sri Lankan civil war, a boat occupying 490 refugee escapees reached British Columbian coastal waters after a three month long voyage. They did not receive a warm welcome; they were faced with armed border guards and RCMP officers, as if escaping the war-torn country was not enough. Their boat was thoroughly inspected by officials for human trafficking, drugs and “terrorist-like activities” and even after the full inspection they were detained in the boat for several months until Canada made a decision. Meanwhile, the health of the refugees declined greatly without medical assistance, resulting in one death and several others severe cases of illness.
I hope history does not repeat itself with the Middle Eastern refugee crisis. Fortunately, some European countries have been providing assistance: Germany has granted access to 50,000 refugees per year, while the UK has pledged to take in 20,000 refugees directly from Syrian refugee camps by 2020 and France has consented to 24,000 individuals.
But with over 10 million individuals displaced from their homes, this is not enough. Canada and the Harper government has agreed to take in an additional 10,000 refugees from Syria and Iraq over the next four years but has also elusively stated that there may be “processing delays.” This is a pitifully low number considering that Ontario being larger than Germany, the UK and France combined.
After the St. Louis and the Sri Lankan-Tamil boat, one would think the barriers that we put up would be broken down, so what is keeping our country from accepting more? At the moment the government and media seem to be one-sided, only focusing on the negative aspects of accepting refugees.
This type of coverage can result in racism and damaging stereotypes. I believe accepting more refugees might actually help Canada by contributing to a more diverse population and better unifying Canada with the Middle East. We ought to learn from our past mistakes, disregard our prejudices, and allow more refugees into our country.
