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.
Associate Professor, Faculty of Law, McGill University, As an Individual
Can you repeat the question?
NDP
Jenny Kwan NDP Vancouver East, BC
Okay. The quick question is, would you support the government increasing the resettlement numbers of Yazidis to at least 5,000 as a special measure—that's above and beyond the 7,500 level for the government-assisted refugees—and to lift the cap on all privately sponsored refugees?
President, Nadia Murad Initiative, Yazda
Of course. We want the government to increase the number of Yazidis who are registered to come here so we can have a bigger community in Canada. This would be tremendous support for Yazidis, especially if the number of resettled refugees would be increased.
Founder and President, Canada Section, Yezidi Human Rights Organization-International
The Yazidis are the victims of genocide. I think a civil war is very different from a genocide. From 23 million Yazidis 750 years ago, the Yazidis have dropped down to less than two million worldwide. Canada has been in the front lines when we want to save people, and we are hoping that Canada can do this. We know that Canada can do it. The Canadians can do it. We hope that they can bring over 20,000 in the next three years—that's what we are asking for—to save them from destruction. That would be greatly appreciated.
President, Yazda
I would strongly agree with that, and I say yes to your question. I think it's very important to increase the number of Yazidi refugees in Canada as victims of genocide. I think this resettlement plan and project is a godsend for the Yazidi people. It is very special to them. It never has happened to them in that special way with any other country.
I think the Yazidis will always remember that at the heart of their ancestral homeland they were attacked, that genocide was committed against them, and that their own country was not able to protect them from rape, killing, kidnapping, and all of that, but also that the Canadian people, from thousands of miles, extended their help and their hands. They helped them. This is very historic and—
NDP
Jenny Kwan NDP Vancouver East, BC
Thank you very much. I don't mean to be rude, but I want to get other questions in by way of recommendation.
In terms of my next recommendation, I think a number of the witnesses talked about the need for humanitarian relief now, and the need to work through an independent agency so that the aid goes to the camps and the people where it is needed. That's along the lines of really supporting the people who are there and who may not be able to get resettlement support.
I want to touch on that very quickly with the panellists by way of their specific recommendations on what the government should do now with respect to that aspect. Perhaps I could start with Mr. Barber, with just a short answer so that I can get everybody to participate.
As an Individual
I haven't followed the situation in Canada very closely, but I saw the number $25 million floated as being reserved for resettlement. With money like that, you could rebuild several towns.
NDP
Jenny Kwan NDP Vancouver East, BC
Sorry, we don't have $25 million; it's $25,000.
All right, I'm going to move to Mr. Ismail.
As an Individual
It was some kind of budgetary allotment that I saw.
As an Individual
With a small amount of money, you can rebuild many homes.
November 9th, 2017 / 10:40 a.m.
Founder and President, Canada Section, Yezidi Human Rights Organization-International
On October 25, the U.S. vice-president said that from that day forward they were going to send humanitarian aid directly to the persecuted community. We hope that Canada will do the same thing, send it directly, to work with the NGOs, especially in the Sinjar Mountains, and send whatever is necessary there.
NDP
Founder and President, Canada Section, Yezidi Human Rights Organization-International
The recommendation is that they need everything. They have nothing. The KRG has a been blocking food and drinking water for the last year, and we have now 80,000 to 100,000 people in Mount Sinjar who have nothing, no humanitarian aid.
President, Yazda
I think the U.S. government has decided to bypass the internal bureaucracy of the UN. I think the Canadian government should do the same thing, and get linked directly with the local NGOs in Sinjar that are trying to rebuild the communities over there. Thousands of houses have been booby-trapped. Many have been destroyed or looted, and even door frames and windows have been taken away. Absolutely all kinds of help is needed by the Yazidi community, including electricity, education, hospitals, and all of that.
NDP
Associate Professor, Faculty of Law, McGill University, As an Individual
I would just add that I think the conditions in the camps are appalling. There's immediate assistance that could be given there. I also think that it's time to start thinking about reconstruction efforts so that the IDPs can go back to their towns and villages where security circumstances permit.
NDP
Jenny Kwan NDP Vancouver East, BC
Thank you.
On local resettlement issues here, we heard from the previous panel that there are some challenges with where people are being relocated so they can build those communities.
Mr. Elias, you say you have a list of the families. Is that correct? Do you have recommendations as to which communities have some sort of infrastructure to welcome the resettlement of Yazidis? If you do have that list, can you provide that to—
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Rob Oliphant
I'm going to have to ask you to provide that to the committee in writing somehow.