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.
10:20 a.m.
Liberal
Randeep Sarai Liberal Surrey Centre, BC
Thank you to all the witnesses and I want to really thank you, Nadre Atto, for sharing your experience. I think it would be safe for me to say that everyone here, their hearts bleed when we hear your stories.
I grew up in a culture where I heard stories of genocide to my community multiple times. On hearing about the Yazidis and finding out that your community has gone through it over 70 times, it is amazing to see that you survived, but it was through your persistence and your will. I want to commend you and your whole community for that.
Our job here is to make sure that you feel safe, that your journey here is as easy as possible, and to make it as comfortable and safe as possible. In that regard, I want to ask you, do you feel safe and comfortable in Canada?
10:20 a.m.
As an Individual
I'm very thankful. I'm safe here, but I don't have a good time because all I think about is my daughter and my mom and my family over there, so I am not comfortable. Otherwise, I feel safe and secure here. I'm especially thankful for the British government and also the NGOs. Those people were really helpful for our people and also I especially thank Canada. Canada has been really helpful for us. I'm safe here, but I'm not happy about my family in that situation.
10:20 a.m.
Liberal
Randeep Sarai Liberal Surrey Centre, BC
We completely understand and it's the plight of a lot of refugees to get their siblings and their extended family here. It's a difficult thing with the parameters that we work with and we would like, especially if you're able to locate your daughter, to help them get into Canada.
What can we do to help you feel better integrated in Canada, which means being able to adjust to Canada? Obviously, we can't compensate for the feeling of longing of your missing family and loved ones. How can we make it better for you to settle in Canada and make Canada your home?
10:25 a.m.
As an Individual
All I want from you is to help bring more Yazidis, because I've been there and I've gone through it. I was handcuffed one day, with my kids in front of me. I defended my honour and it didn't go the way they wanted it to and that's why I have gone through a lot. I want Canada to be helpful and to bring more families, which I know they bring here to Canada, which is helpful, and to watch the Yazidi community over there and feel responsible for defending them.
10:25 a.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Rob Oliphant
Thank you.
I need to end it there. I'm worried we are going to have bells at 10:40. We need to have a fairly quick ending to this meeting because I have to get some instructions for the analysts in before 10:40.
I want to thank all the witnesses for their testimony. It is a rich experience for this committee to have among us someone who is a refugee, an interpreter helping that refugee, an exceptional agency committed to the cause of helping refugees, a lawyer, an interpreter and trainer of interpreters with us. It has been a very rich day. Thank you very much.
We're going to have a very quick turnaround, because we need to go to an in camera meeting.
[Proceedings continue in camera]