Evidence of meeting #83 for Citizenship and Immigration in the 42nd Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was yazidis.
A video is available from Parliament.
9:25 a.m.
Conservative
Michelle Rempel Conservative Calgary Nose Hill, AB
Excellent.
How many families are in Calgary? Was there an existing community in Calgary before the resettlement occurred?
9:30 a.m.
Director, Yazidi Association of Manitoba
No. There was no Yazidi community. There was only one family, and that was 20 years ago.
9:30 a.m.
Conservative
Michelle Rempel Conservative Calgary Nose Hill, AB
Do you understand why families were resettled in Calgary?
9:30 a.m.
Director, Yazidi Association of Manitoba
I honestly don't know. We had a family in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, also. We brought them to Winnipeg. They wanted to be closer to the existing community.
9:30 a.m.
Conservative
Michelle Rempel Conservative Calgary Nose Hill, AB
Would you recommend that there be some examination of where Yazidis have been resettled this year, perhaps looking to move them to...?
9:30 a.m.
Director, Yazidi Association of Manitoba
Even though the resettlement agency in Calgary has reached out to the Yazidi Association of Manitoba, which needs help with interpretation and translation for the newcomers.
9:30 a.m.
Conservative
Michelle Rempel Conservative Calgary Nose Hill, AB
Who haven't we heard from? Who does this committee need to hear from to get the right recommendations for this report? Is there anyone else in Canada?
9:30 a.m.
Conservative
Michelle Rempel Conservative Calgary Nose Hill, AB
Yes. Is there anyone in Canada we should definitely be hearing from?
9:30 a.m.
Yezidi Human Rights Activist, Yazda
I think it would be great to bring some of the survivors to this table, people like Ghazel, who I talked about. They have the real information of what they have gone through and how the process is. I think it would be beneficial for Canada to see the work that is being done and how much of a life we're giving to these ISIS survivors by bringing them here.
9:30 a.m.
Director, Yazidi Association of Manitoba
To add to that, I'm sure all of you know the boy Emad, who was reunited with his mother. The first words when he arrived were that he was not the only Emad. There are thousands of Emads who have been going through this as children.
I would like to bring a child as a witness, because nobody can tell a story better than people who have been through it.
9:30 a.m.
NDP
Jenny Kwan NDP Vancouver East, BC
Thank you very much, Mr. Chair, and thank you to all the witnesses for your advocacy, for your ongoing work, for never giving up, and for reminding us about humanity and what this is all about. Thank you very much for that.
First, I would like to say thank you to you, Mr. Hesso, and to the Yazidi Association of Manitoba for your incredible work. When we saw that newscast of the young boy you talked about, Emad, I certainly got to work right away to do everything I could to assist and to urge the government to bring him here. I'm so glad he is here.
You're right. There are many others in that situation.
9:30 a.m.
NDP
Jenny Kwan NDP Vancouver East, BC
We can do more. To that end, I want to ask questions along the lines of what my colleague, Michelle Rempel, asked. She asked specifically whether the government should open up private sponsorship. Let me go there first.
The immigration levels were just released for 2018, and the number of privately sponsored refugees is 18,000.
In terms of lifting the cap, should the government lift the cap for privately sponsored refugees altogether, whether it be for Yazidis or other people? The truth of the matter is that if Canadians will step up, and they are willing to do that, it will self-monitor. People who are able to do it will step up, and that in itself would cap the numbers.
Should the government lift the cap for privately sponsored for all categories? Can I get a quick answer from all the panellists?
Ms. Naso.
9:30 a.m.
Working Committee Member, Operation Ezra
Yes, with a qualification. I think we have to recognize that groups like the Yazidi are special needs groups. I would hate to see that they would have to compete for private sponsorship with groups that are more well established and that have more funds to provide the funds for private sponsorship.
I'm not suggesting that private sponsorship should be open for everybody. I think we have to recognize that there are certain groups that are going to require some preferential treatment. Certainly groups that are experiencing genocide would fall into that category.
9:30 a.m.
NDP
Jenny Kwan NDP Vancouver East, BC
To respond to that, if the cap's lifted for everybody, then everybody has an opportunity to come, so there are no barriers for Yazidis.
9:30 a.m.
Working Committee Member, Operation Ezra
I feel certain groups have to have special incentives.
