Foreign Affairs Committee on Feb. 5th, 2014

[David Anderson, Conservative, Cypress Hills—Grasslands, SK]

I just have one or two questions. I'm interested in following up on what I think Mr. Schellenberger asked about in terms of the minority religious communities. Can you talk a little about where the funding is coming from? Typically, as something becomes more sectarian, there's obviously money behind those organizations. Where is the funding coming from for the various opposition organizations?

[Dennis Horak]

Depending on which organization you're talking about, it's coming from a variety of different sources. In terms of the political opposition coalition, they get funding from western countries and from countries in the region. On the military side, there are countries or also individuals within certain countries who provide funding for weapons, for example. Those groups affiliated with al-Qaeda may get funding from a variety of different sources...individuals within certain countries from the region. So it's very widespread.

[David Anderson, Conservative, Cypress Hills—Grasslands, SK]

Okay. Is it not coming from individuals within one or two specific countries, then?

[Dennis Horak]

It could be.

[David Anderson, Conservative, Cypress Hills—Grasslands, SK]

And we don't want to name those?

[Dennis Horak]

No.

[David Anderson, Conservative, Cypress Hills—Grasslands, SK]

Okay, we'll leave that. I noticed there was some talk about concern over enforced disappearances from the UN, and I'm wondering if you can talk a little about the aspect of enforced disappearances and what's happening there.

[Dennis Horak]

I'm sorry, I'm not sure what you mean by “enforced disappearances”.

[David Anderson, Conservative, Cypress Hills—Grasslands, SK]

I would assume that what they're talking about is the disappearance of civilians and military people and the ongoing procedures that the regime has had in place for many years in dealing with dissidents and people who—

[Dennis Horak]

Okay, basically, it's detentions by the regime. I just hadn't heard the phrase “enforced disappearances” before. I'm sorry, what was your question, then?

[David Anderson, Conservative, Cypress Hills—Grasslands, SK]

I'm just wondering if you can comment on that—if you want to call it detentions by the regime or the disappearance of people who are being held by the regime—it's becoming an increasing problem.

[Dennis Horak]

I'm sorry, I don't have any information on that, but I don't doubt it at all, and I don't doubt that it would be increasing. That's the nature of the regime. As you mentioned, they've always been like that and they're under threat and there is no question they would step it up.

[Lois Brown, Conservative, Newmarket—Aurora, ON]

Do I get the last question? Thank you.

Just a question about the atmosphere within the refugee camps themselves. I have to imagine that you have people fleeing Syria who, in Syria, would have supported the Assad regime and people fleeing Syria who would have supported the opposition. Do you see conflicts arising from those tensions within the refugee camps? Is there security available for the refugee camps? Or are they fairly calm areas?

[Dennis Horak]

We haven't really seen it much in the refugee camps. There is security. I think criminality and other issues are a bigger problem than the war carrying over into refugee camps.

Where we've seen the spillover is more in Lebanon, and it isn't in camps, where we're seeing Alawite—sort of the Shia community within Syria—refugees have gone to Alawite areas in Lebanon, and Sunni refugees have gone to Sunni areas in Lebanon, and some of those areas touch up against each other. We've seen in northern Lebanon, in the city of Tripoli, some of this spillover. Whether those are generated by refugees or whether those are generated by sympathizers for the two sides who are already living in Lebanon is an open question, but certainly some of those sectarian tensions have been evident in Lebanon for sure.

[Leslie Norton]

I would just add that part of the Canadian assistance on the security-related side actually is supporting the Government of Jordan to ensure security in and around the refugee camps in Jordan.

[The Chair, Conservative, Dean Allison]

I also have questions from Paul and Marc to finish up then as well.

[Paul Dewar, NDP, Ottawa Centre, ON]

I just had a quick question regarding if things go ahead for the February 10 scheduled meeting. I want to confirm we will be participating?

[Dennis Horak]

No. These are the head to heads.

[Paul Dewar, NDP, Ottawa Centre, ON]

I'm sorry. I'm glad you clarified that.

[Dennis Horak]

It started off with...just have the internationals the first day, and then they went for a week head to head, and it's the head to head part.

[Paul Dewar, NDP, Ottawa Centre, ON]

Got it. Thanks.

[The Chair, Conservative, Dean Allison]

Marc.

[Marc Garneau, Liberal, Westmount—Ville-Marie, QC]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Refugees. We've accepted 1,300, I think 1,100 privately sponsored and 200 government sponsored. Considering the amplitude of this tragedy with millions in refugee camps spread over several countries, and considering we had many more from Bosnia, 5,000 I think, and Kosovo I think about 5,000, and a fairly large number from Uganda in the seventies, and the Hungarians, and the Czechoslovakians, and the Vietnamese, I have difficulty understanding and believing the thesis, which has been presented by the UNHCR and by the Canadian government, that just about everybody over there really wants to stay there because ultimately they want to go back to their country. They don't want to go to other countries.

The pickup by other countries has been very low so Canada is not at the bottom of the pile in this particular case. But can you really explain to me why our number is so low because we're seeing children growing up in these camps, and they may be there for many years to come. I'm sure their parents would jump at the opportunity in some cases to begin a new life with those children in a country such as Canada. Certainly the Syrian diaspora in Canada is saying we should be accepting many more.

Could you talk to me a little bit about that situation. What are the statistics? How many people are actually applying to be accepted by other countries? Is there a backlog?

[Dennis Horak]

All I would say is I don't think we have the details and the information on applications. I think really in terms of the policy question and statistics, the question would probably be best addressed by Citizenship and Immigration. I don't think we're in a position to comment.

[Marc Garneau, Liberal, Westmount—Ville-Marie, QC]

I actually asked your boss before Christmas, and they said they would get back to me, but they haven't gotten back to me. I think we have a right to know what is actually happening with respect to the 1,300, and I certainly would like to see the government provide a more solid answer as to why we're only doing 1,300 people.