Thanks, Mr. Chair.
Earlier today, the United Nations Human Rights Council issued a report entitled, “'They Came to Destroy': ISIS Crimes Against the Yazidis”. The summary of this report states:
ISIS has committed the crime of genocide as well as multiple crimes against humanity and war crimes against the Yazidis, thousands of whom are held captive in the Syrian Arab Republic where they are subjected to almost unimaginable horrors. The present report, which focuses on violations committed in Syria, is based on 45 interviews with survivors, religious leaders, smugglers, activists, lawyers, medical personnel, and journalists. Considerable documentary material was used to corroborate information collected by the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Syrian Arab Republic. ISIS has sought to destroy the Yazidis through killings; sexual slavery, enslavement, torture and inhuman and degrading treatment and forcible transfer causing serious bodily and mental harm; the infliction of conditions of life that bring about a slow death; the imposition of measures to prevent Yazidi children from being born, including forced conversion of adults, the separation of Yazidi men and women, and mental trauma; and the transfer of Yazidi children from their own families and placing them with ISIS fighters, thereby cutting them off from beliefs and practices of their own religious community, and erasing their identity as Yazidis. The public statements and conduct of ISIS and its fighters clearly demonstrate that ISIS intended to destroy the Yazidis of Sinjar, composing the majority of the world’s Yazidi population, in whole or in part.
The summary concludes by saying, “The genocide of the Yazidis is on-going.”
On page 37 of this report, the commission begins its recommendations. Under section 212, which is, “The Commission recommends to the international community”, it recommends, “Recognize ISIS’s commission of the crime of genocide against the Yazidis of Sinjar”.
It goes on with several other significant recommendations, but my motion today deals with the recommendation under paragraph 212(g), which is “Accelerate the asylum applications of Yazidi victims of genocide”.
During the course of our study looking at the government's response to the Syrian refugee crisis, we have heard from many groups that it is difficult and that there are many roadblocks in having the ability to bring Yazidis to Canada. In fact, we heard Ms. Dawn Edlund, a department official, say that, in terms of what the department is tracking, the department has tracked only nine cases of Yazidis being processed to date.
There are groups in Winnipeg and around the country. I will reference one. The title of the umbrella organization is Operation Ezra, led by the Shaarey Zedek Synagogue. I understand the minister has already met with this group. They have raised over $250,000 to privately sponsor seven Yazidi families. There have been other groups that have presented to the committee and have said that we should be looking at ways to, as the UN has recommended, “accelerate the asylum applications of Yazidi victims of genocide”.
I think that the information presented to the committee to date shows that the government and our country writ large would benefit from a committee study that would look at ways in which we could accelerate this, given that there has been a significant amount of evidence showing that there are significant roadblocks that groups experience in order to help these people.
Given the urgency of this report, the urgency that the United Nations has compelled upon us with this particular recommendation, I move:
That, pursuant to Standing Order 108(2), the Committee study ways for Canada to—
—as the UN report lays it out—
— to accelerate the asylum applications of Yazidi victims of genocide; that this study be comprised of no less than three (3) meetings to be held as soon as possible; that departmental officials be in attendance for at least one (1) meeting, and that the Committee report its findings to the House; and that Pursuant to Standing Order 109, the government table a comprehensive response thereto.
There are many tools at the disposal of the government that can be used to accelerate the application of asylum claims for groups that are vulnerable. I think that, given the report issued by the UN today, which, through evidence-based analysis over a considerable period of time, explicitly shows that genocide is in fact happening to Yazidis, and the fact that the UN itself has called upon the international community to accelerate asylum applications in this area, the committee would take this to heart, see this as a non-partisan way to help the international community, and certainly look at ways and tools at our disposal to help these people.
Thank you, Mr. Chair.