Evidence of meeting #89 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 help.
A video is available from Parliament.
Liberal
Salma Zahid Liberal Scarborough Centre, ON
My next question is for Mr. Clifford.
We have heard testimony about difficulty with access to interpretation services for newly arrived Yazidi immigrants. We have also heard that there are a number of different dialects with Kermanji. Could you discuss the challenges of providing interpretation services to the Yazidi arrivals? Are there many qualified interpreters in Canada right now, and are they located in the communities where the Yazidi families are resettling?
Director, Master of Conference Interpreting, Glendon College, York University, As an Individual
I don't work specifically with Kermanji. I said at the outset that there's a restricted number of languages that our program trains for specifically. I can comment more broadly on what it means to try to train people who work with languages of lesser diffusion.
One of the things we notice very often is that there's a pattern when a new group of people comes to the country. What tends to happen is they start showing up at community-level services. It's at this level that the whole interpreting infrastructure first takes note. All of a sudden a hospital is saying it needs Kermanji, and community centres are saying they need Kermanji. It's up to the agencies and the training institutions to try to respond. We don't really get a first alert, if you will, to say, “Hey, by the way, we're about to bring in this new wave of people. These are their language needs, and can you come to it and snap to attention.”
This is different from what we see elsewhere. For example, I contrast this with conference interpreting at the European institutions, where each time there's even the remote possibility that a new member state will be added and a new language will enter into the mix, there's a whole cadre of people who spring into action and start preparing for language services to be provided. We could do a little bit to imitate that pattern.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Rob Oliphant
I'm afraid I need to end it there.
I think next is Mr. Maguire.
You're the last one standing on that side.
Conservative
Larry Maguire Conservative Brandon—Souris, MB
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
I have a number of questions that I never got to before. There are so many on this issue.
Ms. Atto, I know you've been through a lot. The first step, as Ms. Sadrehashemi just said, is to get people relocated. The second one is to get them some kind of help here or in the country of relocation. The third one, of course, is reunification of family. Are those the three issues that are the most important to you?
As an Individual
There are very bad conditions. The Yazidi people are living in tents. All I want is if you could bring more Yazidi families over here to Canada to help them because the situation over there is that they are living in tents. What happened to them is very difficult for the families. All I need is if you could help bring more of them over.
Conservative
Larry Maguire Conservative Brandon—Souris, MB
I think that statement shows the kind of people we're dealing with. They're very selfless. Caring for others is more important than the fact that she is here now.
Mr. Rose, you said there was a flagrant disregard. You said to not fund the UNHCR program anymore. Can you expand on that? Are there other methods besides the UNHCR through which we could be bringing these types of refugees to Canada?
Director of Communications, Project Abraham, Mozuud Freedom Foundation
Can you repeat the last statement you just made?
Conservative
Larry Maguire Conservative Brandon—Souris, MB
I'm wondering if there are other methods to bring people here besides the normal ones that we're using.
Director of Communications, Project Abraham, Mozuud Freedom Foundation
I know there are NGOs on the ground, and I know other organizations that know who the Yazidis are who are in desperate need. A lot of them aren't registered with the UN for all the reasons that we know. We know now that the United States is networking through USAID to divert the $1.3 billion that it was allocating to help the minorities in Iraq. It has found that this money isn't going there, so it has a way of being able to do it through USAID and through contacts on the ground.
I'm not an expert on this. I just have contacts among some people who have been on the ground in Iraq. However, from the little that I know, it could be done.
Conservative
Larry Maguire Conservative Brandon—Souris, MB
Would there be a need for more Ezra and Abraham programs?
Manager, Project Abraham, Mozuud Freedom Foundation
Yes, I believe it would be extremely helpful if every community had volunteers on the ground who could help. We've seen so many wonderful successes within our own program. I think about the communities that don't have these volunteers and how much more difficult it must be for them, so yes, I would highly recommend that.
Conservative
Larry Maguire Conservative Brandon—Souris, MB
How would those that are not in connection with the government today be able to get in touch with it and be accredited to bring these people in? What would be required?
Manager, Project Abraham, Mozuud Freedom Foundation
I'm sorry. I'm not sure I understand the question.
Conservative
Larry Maguire Conservative Brandon—Souris, MB
With regard to the groups that you indicated could use more help, how would you recommend that they get in touch with the government, and how can the government help them to be the arm that brings more of these people in?
Manager, Project Abraham, Mozuud Freedom Foundation
That's a challenging question. I know that we're trying to work very much with the government NGOs that are on the ground trying to help resettle people. It's through these NGOs that we need to work, unless we can establish our own direct relationship with the government, which would be wonderful for us. It would be very helpful.
While we're working with the NGOs, we are finding a lot of communication breakdown. For example, let's just take this simple thing about the—
Manager, Project Abraham, Mozuud Freedom Foundation
It's just regarding the Yazidis being hungry. If we hadn't told the Yazidis to contact their caseworker and say that they're hungry, they never would have gotten the help.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Rob Oliphant
Thank you.
We're going to turn to Mr. Sarai now. He's offered me one of his minutes and I want to ask a question.
Every witness gives their personal understandings and testimony from their personal experience at this committee and they're all welcome. I do need to ask though—Ms. Sadrehashemi it was—we had testimony this morning that Muslims should not be brought to this country because they are a danger. Do you agree with that?
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Rob Oliphant
Mr. Rose, it was brought to this committee that Muslims should not be brought to this country. Do you agree with that?
Director of Communications, Project Abraham, Mozuud Freedom Foundation
Absolutely not.
Manager, Project Abraham, Mozuud Freedom Foundation
No, I don't agree with that.
Director, Master of Conference Interpreting, Glendon College, York University, As an Individual
Absolutely not. I don't agree with that.