Yes, of course.
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.
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.
9:30 a.m.
NDP
Jenny Kwan NDP Vancouver East, BC
Thank you.
I want to go to the question of government-sponsor refugees because when we heard from previous panels on this issue, people suggested that as a first step we should target at least 1,000, and then move beyond that because it's only a first step. Others continue to say that governments should move the number up to 5,000, and the officials who appeared before us pretty well told us that the government has no intention to move beyond what we have done so far. To this question on the government-assisted numbers, the number released for 2018 is set at 7,500. That's for all government-assisted refugees from everywhere. Should that number increase?
For the Yazidis specifically, I have always hoped that the 1,200 the government committed to bringing in would be a special measure over and above the refugees brought in from elsewhere. That did not happen.
In going forward, would you call for the government to increase that number and at least try to target what the other panellists brought to our attention, namely 5,000 above above and beyond the immigration-level numbers of 7,500?
We'll go down the panel.
Mrs. Naso.
9:35 a.m.
Director, Yazidi Association of Manitoba
Yes, 5,000-plus would be much better.
9:35 a.m.
NDP
Jenny Kwan NDP Vancouver East, BC
Let the record show that all the witnesses are nodding.
Ms. Abdallah.
9:35 a.m.
NDP
Jenny Kwan NDP Vancouver East, BC
Thank you.
I want to go to the question of location because previous witnesses, and you here today, have indicated that it's important to have a community to support each other. The officials reported that Toronto, London, Winnipeg, and Calgary are the designated locations. I'm a little taken aback to hear that Calgary did not have the infrastructure or community to support the Yazidi refugees. Lethbridge is another community that is identified. Does that community have that infrastructure in place?
Mr. Hesso.
9:35 a.m.
Director, Yazidi Association of Manitoba
I had that conversation with an immigration assistant for the Prairies and the Northwest Territories. Lethbridge was targeted and they were going to bring some families to that city specifically, but after the Yazidis were consulted and the communications that we have done, the people who arrived in Canada wanted to go to the existing communities. Pretty much when they first arrived at Toronto's Pearson International Airport or Montreal, or wherever in Canada, they wanted to go to where the existing Yazidi communities were. It makes their job easier, and it's better to integrate with the specific conditions they may have. It makes it easier for everyone.
9:35 a.m.
NDP
9:35 a.m.
Director, Yazidi Association of Manitoba
There are no families to my knowledge in Lethbridge. There are in Calgary, yes.
9:35 a.m.
Director, Yazidi Association of Manitoba
To my knowledge no Yazidi families or single members live in Lethbridge today.
9:35 a.m.
NDP
Jenny Kwan NDP Vancouver East, BC
I wonder if you know of other good communities to resettle Yazidi families. I think if you could pass that information to this committee, so it could be communicated to the government, that would be really important work. That's resettlement 101 from that perspective.
Resettlement services are one of the keys we need to be sure are in place. What does the government need to do to ensure proper resettlement services?
We'll start with you, Mr. Hesso.
9:35 a.m.
Director, Yazidi Association of Manitoba
I think the government needs to co-operate with the existing communities and the people who have vacancies and are known to the IRCC specifically. I think it makes everyone's job easier with socializing, interpretation, and medical issues, in every way possible. I think it makes it better for the families who arrive when we greet them at the airport, and it may put smiles on their faces as Yazidi families here welcome them.
