Citizenship and Immigration Committee on Dec. 1st, 2016

[The Chair, Liberal, Borys Wrzesnewskyj]

I call the meeting to order.

Pursuant to Standing Order 108(2) and the motion adopted by the committee on February 25, the committee will resume its study on the resettlement of Yazidi women and girls.

We have before us today, from the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Refugees, Johannes van der Klaauw, who is a new representative in Canada, and Michael Casasola, resettlement officer. Welcome back, Mr. Casasola. Welcome, Mr. van der Klaauw. You have seven minutes for an opening statement.

[Johannes van der Klaauw, Representative in Canada, Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees]

Mr. Chair, honourable members of this House, ladies and gentlemen, it's an honour for me to address this committee today on World AIDS Day.

Thank you for providing me with this opportunity to testify on Canada's plan to resettle victims of the atrocities attributed to ISIS, notably Yazidi women and girls. As this is my first opportunity to appear before this committee since I have been in Canada as the new representative of the UNHCR, I should first add my voice of appreciation to the Canadian public for their outpouring of support for the public mobilization with their government at all levels for the resettlement and sponsorship of thousands of refugees in need.

By the end of this year, we expect that well over 40,000 refugees will have landed in Canada by means of resettlement. This is a record high number. I also wish to commend this Parliament, this House, for its consistently high level of support for resettlement to Canada of the most vulnerable refugees, and also for its support for the record level of funding of UNHCR operations this year, received from both the government and the Canadian private sector.

We are all longing for an end to the conflict that is fuelling the humanitarian situation in Syria, Iraq, and elsewhere. The entangled conflicts in Iraq and Syria account for almost a quarter of the world's displaced. The Syrian war, now in its sixth year, continues to be the cause of the biggest humanitarian crisis, with 6.5 million Syrian people internally displaced and 4.8 million Syrian refugees abroad.

Iraq, and that is mainly the core of attention today, is experiencing a growing humanitarian crisis amid ongoing conflict, restrictions on humanitarian access, diminishing coping mechanisms, and funding shortfalls. As a result of the conflict, continuous displacement, and disruption of services, the protection needs of the population are very large. In all, today in Iraq more than 3.18 million Iraqis have been internally displaced since January 2014. That is in addition to the over one million Iraqis displaced since the sectarian conflicts of the mid-2000s. One out of 10 Iraqis at the moment has been forceably uprooted. A further 230,000 Iraqis have sought refuge outside, in other countries in the region.

There are 6,700 Iraqis from in and around Mosul who have taken the extraordinary step of fleeing into Syria, into the al-Hasakah governorate in the northeast of war-torn Syria where both of us were some years ago. You might be interested to hear that of the 6,700 Iraqis in al-Hasakah, 2,260 are Iraqi Yazidi.

As a result of the current conflict in Iraq, the situation of women and girls is of utmost concern. This is an understatement. As your committee is aware, in ISIS- controlled areas abduction, sexual slavery, rape, forced marriage, forced abortion, and killings have been reported, affecting women and girls belonging to religious and ethnic minority groups, including and in particular Yazidi women and girls.

I am here today to explain to your Parliament our plans with the Canadian government in response to your motion to resettle victims of ISIS out of the region within the next 120 days, and in particular Yazidi women and girls.

As you know, the identification of refugees for resettlement is based on independent criteria established with resettlement countries. These criteria are informed by specific vulnerabilities covering protection concerns in the countries of asylum. They aim to identify survivors of violence and torture, including sexual violence, women and children at risk, refugees with medical needs, LGBTI refugees, refugees at risk of detention or expulsion, and so on.

The resettlement referrals of Iraqi refugees that UNHCR is currently preparing for Canada focus on the victims of the atrocities meted out by ISIS, notably women and girls, and then in particular the members of minorities, such as Yazidi women and girls. Given the unspeakable human rights abuses experienced by Yazidi women and girls, we will be able to identify them through this process, which, however, will also benefit other women and girls facing a similar plight.

In order for UNHCR to identify refugees for resettlement, they need to be registered as such. In Turkey, where large numbers of Yazidi have sought refuge, they need to register not just with UNHCR but also with the Turkish authorities if they wish to be able to leave the country by means of resettlement. As many Yazidi so far have not done so, we are, as the UNHCR, actively encouraging them to get registered in order to enable us to refer them for resettlement.

Recognizing that resettlement is a voluntary activity, an additional but important issue is whether the refugees wish to be resettled, since in some cases Yazidi refugees have informed us that they wish to stay in the region in the hope of reuniting with their families still in Iraq or, from their country of refuge, to continue caring for the members of their families in Iraq. Other Yazidis do not wish to leave neighbouring countries, notably Turkey, because they hope to return home in the very near future.

To give you a few figures, in recent years the UNHCR has referred 1,445 Yazidis for resettlement to resettlement countries in the world at large. In 2015 alone, we submitted for resettlement over 10,000 Iraqi nationals, Iraqi refugees, out of the region. Of that number, 3.6%—373—were Iraqi Yazidis.

At the moment, we continue to refer Yazidi refugees, both Iraqi Yazidi and Syrian Yazidi, to the Canadian missions in the countries around Iraq and Syria for resettlement consideration in response to your motion. Given their extreme vulnerability, Yazidi registered refugees in Turkey, but also in Lebanon and in other countries, are clearly eligible for referral for resettlement—it's obvious—because they have been subject to atrocious forms of violence and exploitation. I've mentioned it.

When we look at the Yazidis still in northern Iraq, where they are internally displaced, we see that UNHCR and its partners are continuing their protection and assistance programs, if not stepping them up. They cover a very wide range of services and activities. They involve our presence in areas affected by serious disturbance or conflict in northern Iraq, where physical safety and security for our staff are concerns. Still, we are operating there, and we provide the services. We do this to provide life-saving protection and assistance to families, making sure that they have adequate shelter and basic household items, including mattresses, stoves, and kitchen and hygiene sets. More and more, we also provide cash assistance to IDPs so that they themselves can make the best choices for how to care for their own needs.

[The Chair, Liberal, Borys Wrzesnewskyj]

Mr. van der Klaauw, we've run a little over time. Could we wrap up?

[Johannes van der Klaauw]

I will try to hurry up.

During the questions, I can also explain a bit about what we do for the Yazidi in northern Iraq among all the other IDPs.

This has been an issue. If it comes to Yazidis in Iraq, we provide these protection assistance services on the ground, but we are not involved in the extraction of IDPs out of Iraq to other countries, be they Yazidis or others, because, as you know, we do resettlement of refugees, and that means people who have gone over a border into another host country.

The Germans have explained how they can do this with other organizations.

I wish to end with two remarks. First of all, I wish to comment briefly on allegations of discriminatory conduct by UNHCR staff against Yazidi refugees, which has been reported in this committee, I think, by witnesses in the summer when you had your previous sessions, and my colleague was there.

I would like to assure your members that HCR makes every effort to vigorously uphold the integrity of our programs for refugees and all the displaced. We have a code of conduct to which our own staff and our partner staff are expected to adhere. If there is any discriminatory conduct—for instance, on religious or other ground—by our own staff or partner staff, that is considered misconduct, and as such, if you have these complaints, I encourage you to inform our inspector general's office in headquarters that deals with those claims. I can give you the email address.

In closing, let me reiterate that in all our humanitarian work, including our resettlement work, we prioritize the most vulnerable at risk. We do not make distinctions on the basis of nationality, race, gender, religious belief, class, sexual orientation, political opinion, or minority status. We have this approach and have developed these resettlement conditions over many years, and it is critical to ensure that we maintain the continued support of resettlement countries.

That said, it is obvious that prioritization according to vulnerability criteria should and does result in the inclusion of those refugees for refugee resettlement who, by virtue of their membership in an ethnic or a religious minority, have been the victim of extreme violence and widespread and systematic human rights abuses, such as the Yazidi. Yazidi women and girls are obviously, and I repeat obviously, among those most vulnerable, and I wish to assure this committee that UNHCR will do everything within our authority and our means to provide Yazidi women and girls with the protection and assistance they so badly need, including and particularly now by means of resettlement.

Thank you.

[The Chair, Liberal, Borys Wrzesnewskyj]

Thank you, Mr. van der Klaauw.

We begin with Ms. Dzerowicz for seven minutes, please.

[Julie Dzerowicz, Davenport, Lib.]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

My heartfelt thanks to both you, Mr. van der Klaauw, and to you, Mr. Casasola, for being here today and for your presentation. Also, thank you for all your wonderful work, and a special welcome to you, Mr. van der Klaauw, in your new position.

We have very limited time in asking questions, so I'm going to ask three in order and have you respond to them, and then I'll transfer to my colleague, whose time I am sharing.

First, you've talked quite a bit about both Iraqi and Syrian Yazidi refugees, and you've talked a lot about Turkey. Can you give me a clear idea of where you're planning on sourcing the Yazidi refugees for us? Is it only in Turkey, or is it also in Lebanon? Can you speak very directly specifically to that?

Second, how many do you think you can process within the 120-day period that we have set out?

Third, you've indicated something interesting. Not only do the refugees have to register with the UNHCR, but they also have to register with Turkey for them to leave. Is that going to also pose a time limitation or problem if we're trying to help Yazidi women and girls and their families leave expeditiously? Is there a limitation as to how many can leave Turkey?

I'll leave you with those questions.

[Johannes van der Klaauw]

I can directly answer.

On your first question, we do submit Yazidis for resettlement, not only out of Turkey, but also, for instance, out of Lebanon. However, the largest number of Iraqi Yazidis is in Turkey. In Lebanon there are more Syrian Yazidis, but for this Canadian program, the plan is to resettle not just out of Turkey, but also, as I mentioned, Lebanon.

To comment on your last question, as I said, the situation in Turkey is such that they have to register first with the Turkish authorities. We do encourage them to do so. We do speak with the Turkish authorities, because quite a number of Yazidis live in southeastern Turkey close to Iraq, and they are not that easy for us to reach out to. Now we are much more focused on doing that, and we encourage them to register with the Turkish system so that we can then prepare the files.

I also want to take this opportunity to say something else, which is that in previous discussions there has been some criticism of the waiting time within the UNHCR itself, such as, for instance, that for a Yazidi to get an interview and to get prepared for resettlement, the time is far too long. We have taken action. If we clearly have very vulnerable people, we fast-track them. We put them in front. We now have diversified our own determination procedures so that those extremely vulnerable refugees go to the front of the queue.

I also have to say that one reason it takes us so long in Turkey is that if we prepare cases for resettlement and they need to be determined as refugees for us, but we have too few places, that is a reason, unfortunately, for us to not accelerate too much. When we have more resettlement offers, it spurs us into action to fast-track many more cases. I say this particularly with a view to the Yazidi claims.

This is also a partial answer to your question of how many dossiers we can refer in the next 120 days. I cannot give you a clear answer, because it's not dependent just on us. It's also dependent on what the Government of Canada is able to process. I can tell you something, though. If we base ourselves on vulnerability as the main criteria, and if I were to mention a number, there are some 230,000 Iraqis in the region, and if I tell you now that over 50,000 have been registered by us as having special needs, then you can see there is a large number, so we have a large enough group, including Yazidis. I can tell you that we have hundreds and hundreds of cases that we could possibly refer, but it means resources, and it also takes two to tango: we need to also see what the Government of Canada is able to take further.

I want to reassure this House that there will be a sizable number that you can bring over when it comes to our work and the types of profiles we have.

[Julie Dzerowicz]

We have not given you a specific number. In the absence of that, you're not able to tell us the maximum number that you can process within 120 days.

[Johannes van der Klaauw]

No, but what I can say is that almost all these 50,000 who have been—and these are all Iraqis—

[Julie Dzerowicz]

That's all of them. It's not Yazidis—

[Johannes van der Klaauw]

—but there are those who are Yazidis and other minorities, of course, who are victims of violence by ISIS/Daesh, so we are working on this. We are, as we speak, not only identifying them but also preparing the dossiers.

[Julie Dzerowicz]

I will give the floor to Mr. Sarai.

[The Chair, Liberal, Borys Wrzesnewskyj]

You have one and a half minutes.

[Randeep Sarai, Liberal, Surrey Centre, BC]

I'll be quick.

Does the UNHCR have any guidelines on offering temporary protection when they do see these Yazidi girls?

[Johannes van der Klaauw]

We have guidance on temporary protection in various different situations. For instance—but this is a side remark—the Turkish authorities have offered temporary protection to Syrians. This is a temporary measure. If you can't really go into a long-term solution by means of resettlement, for instance, or through proper integration in a host country, we have interim measures so that at least.... The UNHCR encourages governments, as we did with the Turkish authorities for the Syrians, to give people a document—in this case the Syrians—in order for them to be protected and to have access to services for a limited period of time. This is then prolonged, normally, if the conflict has not come to an end and people cannot yet go back. That is a global policy, and it's applied in the region, at least for Syrians in Turkey.

[Randeep Sarai, Liberal, Surrey Centre, BC]

When you speak of Yazidis who don't want to leave, who want to go back and don't want to permanently settle elsewhere, is it the same for Yazidi girls who have been victims, or is that a general Yazidi thought that you're referring to?

[Johannes van der Klaauw]

It's more the general policy.

The Yazidi live in many parts of Turkey, particularly in the southeast. They live also in areas that are not so easy for us to reach with our partners, but we encourage them and the local authorities to see they have access to services. The problem, of course, is there are many very traumatized people, and they normally will not find the psychosocial and very specialized medical support. You've also heard the testimony of the Iraqi Yazidi doctor here who works out of north Iraq. It was mentioned that some of these refugees really need specialist treatment in countries like Canada.

[The Chair, Liberal, Borys Wrzesnewskyj]

Thank you.

Go ahead, Ms. Rempel, for seven minutes, please.

[Michelle Rempel, Conservative, Calgary Nose Hill, AB]

Thank you.

We've had witnesses in front of our committee, departmental officials, who stated that only nine Yazidi refugees were admitted to Canada from the 25,000 that the Liberal government initially expedited. My colleagues have asked questions about the number of Yazidis that it would be realistic to process in the four-month window that is now three months, yet you were able to process over 25,000 refugees within a similar period with this government.

I'm just wondering why so few Yazidis were referred to Canada as part of your referral process, and what steps you've undertaken to rectify that gross negligence.

[Johannes van der Klaauw]

Thank you, Ms. Rempel. As for why there were so few, as I said, in terms of numbers, if you look at the segment of Yazidi refugees among the many Syrian refugees, you see there are not that many. Iraqi Yazidi are more numerous among the Iraqi refugee population.

Second, not all the Yazidi, as I mentioned earlier, wish to be resettled far from their home area, but I think it's fair to say that now with your stricter focus and your initiative on the plight of the Yazidi women and girls in this House, there will be much more resettlement now thanks to your initiative on the Yazidi.

[Michelle Rempel, Conservative, Calgary Nose Hill, AB]

Based on the comment that you just made with regard to the difference between Syrian and Iraqi refugees and the acknowledgement that many vulnerable minorities and victims of Daesh, of ISIS, are actually from Iraq, would you say that perhaps there was a missed opportunity in terms of prioritizing the most vulnerable in the 25,000 who were referred to Canada through your agency?

[Johannes van der Klaauw]

I would not call it a missed opportunity. What I would say is, because all the Syrians you have resettled so far.... In resettling any refugee or any refugee family, there is a vulnerability aspect. Many non-Yazidi are also very vulnerable.

What I could say is that maybe the situation of the Yazidi as a particular minority is now very much in the limelight and has been since 2014, but as I explained, resettlement is not based on minority status but on vulnerability, and many other vulnerable people are also there from many other groups.

[Michelle Rempel, Conservative, Calgary Nose Hill, AB]

We heard from—

[Johannes van der Klaauw]

Therefore, they might not have been represented as much in the group of total resettled refugees as you had wished.

[Michelle Rempel, Conservative, Calgary Nose Hill, AB]

We've heard from NGOs working on the ground that thousands of Yazidis have been identified who wish to resettle to other places, particularly Canada, but we're hearing from you that there are only a few hundred that you would be able to refer to us. Why the disconnect?