Thank you for the question.
First of all, let me tell you that being a refugee is the bitterest experience in the life of a human being. You have to leave everything behind forever. Your legs are stuck here and your eyes look back. The whole world becomes a jail for you. The realm of freedom is a tiny corner of the globe that you have no access to. Let me tell you that refugees are people with the highest standard of values, because they raised their heads against tyranny and against human rights abuses. They contribute to the global endeavour of Canadian society in promoting human rights.
I came here as a devastated refugee. There are certain dates that you never ever forget and one was February 12, 1985, when I landed in Montreal without any documentation. In your concern to save your head, you leave your family behind, and you even leave your children behind, because if you don't escape, they will kill you. They are always after you to kill you. Then you don't bother about documentation. You are looking for asylum. It's like a fire in your flat: When fire is coming from all sides and there's only one window open to the neighbour's house, you jump and you don't bother. There is no documentation.
I think what is at stake today is Canadian compassion. We have always been proud of Canadian compassion. Let me tell you that in Canada, I worked for five years doing hard physical labour, although I came with a Ph.D. degree in political economy, and I used to be an assistant professor of political economy. In Canada I did my best to contribute. I said, “Down with political economy. I want to serve human rights”. I joined a Jesuit centre and I work with refugees and for refugees.
The challenge is building a new home in a new country, and I'm very happy that I did it successfully here. I have published three books, and I have published at least 70 articles. I'm working very hard. I'm a member of many organizations as a volunteer. I'm on the board of the Canadian Centre for International Justice. I'm a proud Canadian. Don't think that refugees or asylum seekers are a burden. We also contribute.