House of Commons Hansard #94 of the 42nd Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was yazidis.

Topics

Opposition Motion—Genocide Against the Yazidi peopleBusiness of SupplyGovernment Orders

10:35 a.m.

NDP

Linda Duncan NDP Edmonton Strathcona, AB

Mr. Speaker, the motion of the member before this place is very thoroughly written and very thoughtful. It is encouraging that a member of the Conservative Party is calling for action by the government in response to a call for action by the United Nations. That is a refreshing shift from the stance her party previously took while in government.

The member also raised the issue about the trafficking in women, women who have been trafficked for sexual purposes. Has she also reached out to organizations such as ACT Alberta, which has been doing incredible work across the country on trafficking, and considered whether or not we might connect with them if we bring Yazidi women here?

Opposition Motion—Genocide Against the Yazidi peopleBusiness of SupplyGovernment Orders

10:35 a.m.

Conservative

Michelle Rempel Conservative Calgary Nose Hill, AB

Mr. Speaker, this is such an important issue, and since today's debate should be talking about action and forward thinking, the government absolutely needs to look at these types of groups because when we bring these women to Canada, they will need an extra level of support and care, given the atrocities they have gone through.

I have had the opportunity to meet Nadia Murad. I cannot believe that this woman has the courage to stand up for people when she has had the soul raped out of her. Groups such as my hon. colleague mentioned will play a vital role in the support and long-term survival of these women.

I implore my government colleagues to both support this motion and to ensure, when they are developing their plans, that there are adequate resources for these women in their healing process.

Opposition Motion—Genocide Against the Yazidi peopleBusiness of SupplyGovernment Orders

10:40 a.m.

Liberal

Borys Wrzesnewskyj Liberal Etobicoke Centre, ON

Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for Calgary Nose Hill for her tireless advocacy on behalf of Nadia Murad and hundreds of women, such as Nadia, who have escaped sexual slavery and the thousands upon thousands of women who continue to be enslaved by this genocidal death cult.

During our hearings in summer, at which Nadia Murad testified, we heard that there was a country that not only declared that what had occurred was genocide, but also felt compelled to act immediately. It was Germany. Germany brought a large contingent of Yazidi women to sanctuary to help rebuild their shattered lives.

Perhaps the member would like to comment on why Germany was able to act and how it went about bringing those women to Germany and to begin the settlement process there.

Opposition Motion—Genocide Against the Yazidi peopleBusiness of SupplyGovernment Orders

10:40 a.m.

Conservative

Michelle Rempel Conservative Calgary Nose Hill, AB

Mr. Speaker, I would also like to take a moment to personally thank the member for Etobicoke Centre for his non-partisan approach to this and his leadership on the citizenship and immigration committee, which frankly led to the study on this issue happening this summer. I can say without a shadow of a doubt that if it were not for his intervention, this study would not have occurred, and for that I and the Yazidi people thank him.

With regard to the German program to bring Yazidi women to their country, the secret to their success was that their political will. German officials acted quickly. They looked beyond the bureaucratic obstacles that were in their way to bring these people to Germany.

Without going into all of the technical details of the program, there was an enormous amount of fast-tracking and good political will to get this done. What is so great about the German project is that there is a blueprint available for Canada to follow, should this motion be adopted today.

Opposition Motion—Genocide Against the Yazidi peopleBusiness of SupplyGovernment Orders

10:40 a.m.

Parkdale—High Park Ontario

Liberal

Arif Virani LiberalParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Immigration

Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the opportunity to participate in this important debate.

I first want to acknowledge the advocacy on this issue by the member for Calgary Nose Hill. She has put a very important motion on the persecution of minority groups in Iraq and Syria before the House. I think I can safely say that everyone in the House, across party lines, is outraged by the despicable attacks on minority groups by Daesh.

As a member of this chamber who has had the opportunity to prosecute genocide at the Rwanda war crimes tribunal with the UN, I can say that I am personally horrified by genocide whenever it emerges. It is indeed an issue that members take seriously, none more so than I do, as someone who has participated in taking action on the very types of genocide we are discussing today.

Genocide is clearly the most internationally reprehensible crime known to law and is something to which the international community should respond. Canadians in general have expressed their horror at the murderous actions of Daesh against groups such as the Yazidis, Christians, Shia Muslims, women, and members of the LGBTQ community.

Since 2014, we know that the actions of Daesh have resulted in thousands of civilian deaths, and many more innocent people have faced persecution. These terrible acts have appalled governments and people around the world, not only for their cruelty but also for how they have contributed greatly to the worst refugee crisis since the Second World War.

In addition to the refugees in other countries, more than three million people are internally displaced in Iraq. The Government of Canada recognizes the need to protect Yazidis throughout this region. We have a long and proud tradition of providing protection to those who need it the most. We are a key contributor to international efforts to address protection issues in the region and, indeed, a hallmark of our government is that we believe in engagement with the international community, not isolation from it. That is what Canadians expect of their government. That is exactly what this government has been doing in the first year of its mandate.

Canada has always provided refuge to the world's most vulnerable people. We have welcomed generations of newcomers, who have helped us rebuild our society and economy. We have learned through years of experience that when Canadians come together to welcome and integrate newcomers, it strengthens our communities and contributes to our country's prosperity.

We see this unfolding now as we continue to welcome the some 32,000 Syrian refugees who have arrived since November 4, 2015, in addition to the thousands of other refugees from other populations. In respect of Iraq, the Government of Canada has fulfilled its commitment to resettle 23,000 Iraqi refugees alone. This was accomplished through both the government-assisted and privately sponsored refugee programs.

Following the comments made by the Minister of Immigration in the House a short while ago, I can confirm to the House that departmental officials from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada have very recently completed a visit to northern Iraq. In addition to having interviewed a very large number of Syrian refugees, these officials also met with key partners to gather as much information as possible on the situation on the ground.

Given the security situation in Iraq, we need to consider these next steps very carefully. The region's continuing instability presents very significant challenges to accessing persons who are being persecuted by Daesh in order to identify, select, and interview them, not to mention getting them out of Iraq, while ensuring that our immigration officers, members of the Yazidi community themselves, and other vulnerable groups remain out of harm's way. Moreover, recent military activities in northern Iraq present even greater challenges to the safety of Canadian personnel, as well as aid agencies and partner organizations working in the area.

As well, with the massive displacement expected as a result of the activities that are ongoing right now near Mosul, close to a million internally displaced persons are expected to be on the move and seeking shelter from violence. Some of the very partners we need to work with in the region will be consumed with this mass movement of people, making discussions and coordination with local governments and agencies even more difficult.

Let me underscore that the refugee resettlement we undertake is not Canada's action alone. We do it in concert with partners, such as the UNHCR and the International Organization for Migration. Without their co-operation and their ability to act on our behalf, operations such as the current refugee resettlement or future operations relating to the Yazidi people simply cannot occur.

The feasibility of any program assisting these vulnerable groups in northern Iraq is going to be assessed in light of the challenges that I've just been describing.

We are also aware of the fact that there is a vulnerable Iraqi population in Turkey, which includes the Yazidi people. We would like to explore working with the Turkish government and the UNHCR to look at the best possible resettlement options for that group.

When choosing which refugees to welcome, we rely on our partners, as I mentioned, such as the UN Refugee Agency, the UNHCR, to help us find vulnerable individuals. The UNHCR independently identifies and refers the most vulnerable refugees for resettlement, including people with severe medical needs, survivors of torture or violence, children and adolescents at risk, and women and girls at risk.

In all of its humanitarian programs, including resettlement, UNHCR prioritizes those who are most vulnerable without making distinctions on the basis of nationality, race, gender, religious belief, class, or political opinion. That is an important mandate and it is one that we believe should continue in order to facilitate the responsible resettlement of refugees to this country and to other countries throughout the world.

Such prioritization naturally results in programming that addresses the protection and assistance needs of victims of attacks and abuses, including those who are attacked on ethnic and religious grounds. It is important to underline that persecution based on religion is a consideration that is already assessed by a visa officer but the government does not track cases based on race, religion, sexual orientation, or ethnicity.

However, referrals by the UN Refugee Agency and other referral organizations and private sponsors mean that Canada is well-positioned to provide protection to the most vulnerable refugees identified by our partners, including religious minorities like Yazidis. We know from anecdotal information that some Yazidis have been successfully resettled to Canada. For that, we are thankful. However, we are unable to provide the specific number of Yazidis who have been resettled because we do not track refugees according to their ethnicity or their religious affiliation.

I must also note that there are limits to what our dedicated visa officers can achieve in places such as Iraq and Syria, where the safety and security of all who are there continue to be at significant risk. Indeed, our recent trip was undertaken under top secret classification, and it is only now that I am able to report that it has concluded. The region's instability makes it extremely difficult to reach these vulnerable Yazidis in order to identify and interview them in an effort to get them out of Iraq. We have to ensure that we do not endanger them or other vulnerable groups or place our immigration field officers in harm's way.

With respect to what we have been doing in the region, I would highlight the efforts we have made with the Syrian population, which has captured the attention of the world. We have heard this referenced this morning already.

Canadians and permanent residents of this country have stepped forward in a compassionate, tolerant, open, and internationally engaged manner to sponsor and welcome Syrian refugees under various programs, including the private sponsorship program. We have witnessed a truly national effort in this regard, collaboration by government and non-government actors, service provider organizations, the private sponsors themselves, the public and private sectors, and people from literally coast to coast to coast. Those efforts have attracted the attention of many countries around the world, attention that has added to our country's long-standing tradition of a well-respected international reputation for generosity and humanitarianism.

In respect of that tradition, members of the House agree that this type of issue is an important issue that needs to be addressed. If there is an opportunity wherein we can work collaboratively with parties across the aisle to come up with a non-partisan approach to how we can best assist the Yazidi people, that is exactly the type of opportunity we are looking to explore. This includes welcoming persecuted and vulnerable groups, whether from the Middle East, Iraq, or elsewhere, including those fleeing war zones and those in need of legal or physical protection.

Canada resettles refugees to save lives and to provide stability to those who are fleeing persecution.

This past year has been our most ambitious year ever, in terms of refugee resettlement. The compassion and fairness that we have seen is justifiably a source of great pride for Canadians, the Canadian government, and all parliamentarians. These values are at the core of our refugee program and our resettlement assistance program, which have been praised by the United Nations Refugee Agency as recently as the summit in September in New York.

We will continue to provide protection to individual cases with compelling protection needs around the world. Once again, I believe all of us can agree that the actions of Daesh, as have been witnessed and as have been documented by the UN and other actors, are brutal, are unjustified, and should be soundly condemned.

The member for Calgary Nose Hill referenced in her comments the actions taken by the House of Commons Standing Committees on Citizenship and Immigration with respect to a study on internally displaced people and vulnerable groups, which included the Yazidis, among other groups.

The fact that the study was undertaken under the leadership of the chair of the committee and by the members of three different parties who sit on that committee and there was a unanimous decision taken about pursuing that kind of study, that is exactly the type of non-partisan collegial co-operation that we need to see more of in the House in addressing this kind of issue. When we are dealing with genocide, partisanship has no place in the discussion. I firmly believe that and I believe my colleagues opposite firmly believe that.

We heard from many witnesses that day, including Ms. Murad on behalf of the Yazidi people. She testified before our committee. She has been around the world talking about the Yazidi people. She testified at the United Nations in September. Her testimony was compelling. It was moving. It was a call to action.

That kind of call to action has been answered by this government in the past, whether it was Hungary, Vietnam, or Uganda. Parenthetically, I am a by-product of that kind of call to action because I came here as a Ugandan Asian refugee in 1972. We have heard a call to action for Kosovo. We have heard calls to action for Syria. We have responded to those calls to action. With co-operation and with a collaborative approach, I am confident we can address the call to action here.

There are great challenges, as I have outlined, in terms of offering Canada's protection to people in danger and turmoil. What I can do is assure the House that the Department of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship is actively exploring options to respond to these challenges. The trip that was recently taken into northern Iraq is a testament to the action that is being taken.

What we are trying to do is support the basic needs of those most affected by the conflicts in Iraq and Syria, to support the stabilization of areas that are newly liberated from Daesh, and to bolster the investigative and judicial processes so that perpetrators of atrocities are held responsible. We have also taken action on the international development front. As the Minister of International Development has stated:

Canada’s assistance will help meet the urgent health, shelter, protection, education and food needs of hundreds of thousands of affected civilians. Our assistance will also support organizations responding to incidents of violence and sexual abuse, particularly against women and girls, who have been disproportionately affected by the current crisis.

Over the next three years, Canada will be contributing $840 million in humanitarian assistance and $270 million in development assistance, in addition to the $145 million already dedicated to counter-terrorism, stabilization, and security programming in the region. That is on the monetary front. There is significant diplomatic engagement. There is significant co-operation with our allies, both at the UN and among nation states, which we are also engaged in. We will continue to provide protection to individual cases with compelling protection needs around the world.

I appreciate the opportunity to speak to this important topic. It is something that is personally meaningful to me as a former war crimes prosecutor. It is something that is inherently meaningful to everyone in this chamber, because when we are dealing with genocide and there is a call to action, a collaborative approach is required and Canadians and parliamentarians need to speak with one voice.

Opposition Motion—Genocide Against the Yazidi peopleBusiness of SupplyGovernment Orders

October 20th, 2016 / 10:55 a.m.

Conservative

David Sweet Conservative Flamborough—Glanbrook, ON

Mr. Speaker, I want to remind the parliamentary secretary that a committee of parliamentarians is not government action. It is independent parliamentarians coming together to try to make recommendations to the government because of actions that have not been taken for two years. The hon. member spent the time when he did focus on Yazidis laying the blame at our partners' feet.

I am assuming that if we are in a partnership, part of the partnership is direction and part of our responsibility when we are working with our partners is to insist on specific directions that are actually going to save people from genocide. Rather than lay the blame at our partners' feet, will the member not recognize that Germany was able to come up with an innovative way to rescue 1,000 Yazidis? Will he be committed right now to the same kind of innovation to make sure that the record of nine will be in the past and will he move right away to rescuing Yazidis now?

Opposition Motion—Genocide Against the Yazidi peopleBusiness of SupplyGovernment Orders

10:55 a.m.

Liberal

Arif Virani Liberal Parkdale—High Park, ON

Mr. Speaker, with respect to those two points raised by my colleague opposite, the actions of the committee are a significant symbolic step forward in the type of collaboration that can be undertaken when members of different parties work together. That is why it was highlighted by me. That is why it was highlighted by the member for Calgary Nose Hill. It is a microcosm of what can be achieved when parties work together. It can be extrapolated, in a larger sense, to what can take place in this chamber.

In terms of apportioning what is going on in the region and why actions have not been taken thus far, the remarks I was making were not an effort to lay blame at the hands of the UNHCR or the International Organization for Migration; far from it. They are our allies in this cause in resettling refugees everywhere. They are important allies in that cause. What I was identifying were the challenges of operating in certain parts of the world where the violent, grave dangers to people's physical security are so acute that there is a risk of death when people enter into those regions of the world.

Can other options be explored? Of course they can. The member for Calgary Nose Hill rightly noted that there are Yazidis not just in Iraq but there are also Yazidis in neighbouring countries. Can issues be explored with those neighbouring countries? Of course they can. Turkey is an example, which I highlighted in my speech.

Opposition Motion—Genocide Against the Yazidi peopleBusiness of SupplyGovernment Orders

10:55 a.m.

NDP

Hélène Laverdière NDP Laurier—Sainte-Marie, QC

Mr. Speaker, obviously, we need to help the Yazidi people. As my colleague mentioned near the end of his speech, there is also the issue of justice. We need to take steps to ensure that justice is done.

However, justice cannot be done in a vacuum. Detailed information needs to be gathered on the ground. In May 2015, the Conservative government of the day had approved a one-year $1.2-million investment for justice and transition initiatives in Iraq and Syria. However, we have heard nothing about it since that time.

Can my colleague confirm whether the current government is funding or will fund these kinds of initiatives on the ground to gather evidence?

Opposition Motion—Genocide Against the Yazidi peopleBusiness of SupplyGovernment Orders

10:55 a.m.

Liberal

Arif Virani Liberal Parkdale—High Park, ON

Mr. Speaker, I appreciate my colleague's question and her support on this issue and human rights in general.

With respect to what the Yazidi people are going through in Iraq and the Middle East, it is absolutely clear that we need to look at things differently. As for our development assistance, I am not entirely sure whether it applies to promoting justice and the rule of law. However, I can look into that to confirm whether that is the case.

I can assure the member opposite that we are currently building relationships and we have already begun working with the United Nations to promote justice. For instance, we recommended that a tribunal like the International Criminal Court examine this genocide situation. We have already begun pursuing these kinds of actions, but I need to confirm whether any funding has been allocated for promoting the rule of law in Iraq.

Opposition Motion—Genocide Against the Yazidi peopleBusiness of SupplyGovernment Orders

11 a.m.

Liberal

Michael Levitt Liberal York Centre, ON

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my hon. colleague from Parkdale—High Park for his remarks. I also want to acknowledge the work that has been done by the member for Calgary Nose Hill over a long period of time in terms of giving voice to this very grave situation.

It is very clear, even from just the first 20 minutes of this morning's commentary on the issue, that it transcends party lines. Opposing genocide and taking action is something that is felt on all sides of the House.

We have heard a lot of discussion on the immigration end of this file, which is absolutely important in terms of providing significant aid and opportunities to Yazidis in the area. However, from the perspective of the Untied Nations, from the perspective of being able to ensure that the perpetrators of these heinous acts are held to account, what does the member feel that we in Canada, in this Parliament, can be doing to make sure that voice is being heard at the UN, and that this continues to be looked at and investigated in the most serious manner?

Opposition Motion—Genocide Against the Yazidi peopleBusiness of SupplyGovernment Orders

11 a.m.

Liberal

Arif Virani Liberal Parkdale—High Park, ON

Mr. Speaker, I thank the hon. member for his question and for his passion on this issue. We have had many discussions about this over a considerable amount of time.

There are two aspects to the member's question. One is, as the member for Calgary Nose Hill noted, making sure that the issues of the Yazidis are constantly at the forefront of people's agendas and on the radar, so to speak. This is something that Canada can do as a responsible member of the international community and as a nation that believes in international engagement.

However, I think it is also important, and this is what I appreciate most about the motion by the member for Calgary Nose Hill, that this is not just about declaring or acknowledging genocide. We have done that in the past. It has been done five times in the past in this chamber. This is about coupling a symbolic declaration with action, and the action that is referred to in the motion is action that relates to providing asylum, which I think is an important piece in coupling a symbolic statement with action. I hope that we can work collaboratively to sort out how exactly that can be done in a manner that is safe, both for Canadians working in that region and also for the Yazidis who we would be attempting to bring out.

Opposition Motion—Genocide Against the Yazidi peopleBusiness of SupplyGovernment Orders

11 a.m.

Conservative

Cathay Wagantall Conservative Yorkton—Melville, SK

Mr. Speaker, I am not part of the committee, but I am very concerned as a Canadian and as a member of Parliament who is hearing about this a lot in my riding.

I was able to attend the very first briefing by the immigration minister on what we were doing with the refugees. I was really pleased to hear that the focus was on vulnerable people. A member from the NDP was very thankful the government was focusing on the gay community, which is another group that is extremely vulnerable.

That night I asked about other very vulnerable people, like ethnic and religious minorities, that we would like to connect with. The response was that the UNHCR had identified three groups: the gay community, single women, and young families. At that point, I asked about ethnic or religious minorities, and the answer was no.

The following night, the press asked a question in this regard and the comment was the same, at which point an individual said that it was their understanding from the UNHCR website that ethnic and religious minorities were included in that vulnerable group and that the first two planeloads to Canada were from particular group.

Given the outrage we are feeling and the fact that Germany has been successful in doing this, as a committee and a government, would not the most important thing be to communicate with them, to take action, and make this happen the way we know it can happen in Canada?

Opposition Motion—Genocide Against the Yazidi peopleBusiness of SupplyGovernment Orders

11:05 a.m.

Liberal

Arif Virani Liberal Parkdale—High Park, ON

Mr. Speaker, as I outlined in my opening comments, we need to work with international organizations, the IOM and the UNHCR. The UNHCR targets people who meet the convention definition of a refugee and focuses its efforts on those who are identified as most vulnerable.

The issue that has come up again and again is what that means and how it drills down in terms of specific ethnic groups, genders, and sexual orientations, etc. The answer that we have received again and again, which we operate under, is that if a group is being targeted because of its ethnic or religious status, to the point where it is facing atrocities and, indeed, genocide, it constitutes a vulnerable population to the UNHCR, which then makes its best efforts to bring them out of the region.

Can we learn from the German example what can be done with the Yazidi population, following up on the question by the chair of the standing committee and comments made the member opposite? I think, indeed, that we can. We have just concluded a mission in Iraq. We are going to take information from that mission, but we are also going to look at best practices internationally to see what more can be done in this context.

Opposition Motion—Genocide Against the Yazidi peopleBusiness of SupplyGovernment Orders

11:05 a.m.

NDP

Hélène Laverdière NDP Laurier—Sainte-Marie, QC

Mr. Speaker, I would like to begin by informing you that I will be sharing my time with the member for Vancouver East

The Yazidis are a proud and ancient people. What has happened to them and what is still happening to them is absolutely horrendous. They are being tortured and killed. They are being taken into slavery and sexual slavery. The women are being separated from the men. Children are being taken from their families, often so that they can be trained for combat. It is a genocide and we are not the only ones saying so. The United Nations also agrees.

We need to take action. It is urgent and important. It calls upon our humanity. These people need help. That is why we are going to support the motion before us today. It is a very important motion and I thank my colleague for moving it.

The Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development heard some very troubling testimony about the situation of the Yazidis. I know that the Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration also heard some moving accounts. What is happening here today is partly the result of the extraordinary work that the committee has done in this regard, and I hope that more will be done. Following the study in committee, the NDP issued a series of practical recommendations. In a case like this, we need to be practical to determine what measures can be taken.

We therefore made very practical recommendations with regard to relocation, for example. We think that the Government of Canada, through the Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, should use the discretionary power granted under section 25 of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act and take immediate action to bring Yazidis who are fleeing the genocide to Canada. To that end, credible organizations on the ground would identify and select the genocide victims who would be relocated to Canada. These measures should build on the policies and initiatives already in place.

As far as humanitarian assistance is concerned, the Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship and the Minister of Foreign Affairs should ensure that humanitarian assistance levels are increased and they should work more closely with credible groups on the ground to ensure that the humanitarian assistance gets to those who need it.

The processing delays are a major issue. The additional oversight provided by Canada, in other words, the additional interviews conducted by Canadian officers, cause inexcusable and unacceptable delays in the current context. We urge the government to ease up on this additional oversight and bring to Canada the Yazidis selected for resettlement by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. If the government is not on board with this and decides that additional oversight is necessary, although it is not clear why, then there are some mechanisms that can be used for this purpose. For example, it could use a process similar to the one used for family reunification, whereby additional oversight may be used in cases that raise red flags. Otherwise, the government could proceed the way it does for family reunification.

Refugees selected by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees could obtain a temporary visa to enter Canada and then get permanent resident status once the next stage of the screening process is done here. We know that generally speaking this group of people does not pose any significant threat.

We must use our imagination to find ways to accelerate the process given the terrible situation in which these people find themselves.

We must give them asylum, but we must also give them justice. That is important. These people have a right to justice, but in addition to that right and the importance it could have for them, it would serve to prevent further genocide. Failing to deal with crimes of genocide could result in them being repeated again and again. We must prevent them on the ground, and we must prevent them by ensuring that justice is served when a case such as this arises.

Justice does not just happen. People do not just find themselves before the International Criminal Court or other tribunals where decisions are rendered. It requires evidence and detailed analyses on the ground.

I am now appealing to the current government. Largely due to our efforts, in 2015 the Conservative government agreed to allocate a little bit of money, or just over $1 million, for what is known as transitional justice in Iraq and Syria. I believe we should be doing much more than that, but at least it was a first step. That was in May 2015, and we have not heard much since then. I would like to know if the program still exists. I would also like to strongly encourage the government to invest in the program and, naturally, to work with our partners so that this matter is presented to the International Criminal Court and all other similar bodies.

Finally, we must fight those who commit crimes against humanity. The Yazidis have suffered a tragedy in a context where the abuse of human rights is generalized, and not just by ISIS. We must never stop pointing out that the Bashar al-Assad regime is blatantly attacking its own citizens and committing war crimes and crimes against humanity. Unfortunately, we are seeing too many such crimes.

Everyone knows we sell weapons to Saudi Arabia, and apparently the Saudi coalition is committing crimes against humanity in Yemen too.

I do not have enough time left to delve into all of these issues, but I do know for sure that we must act, and that includes providing humanitarian aid. We have to stop the flow of arms to those regions. We have to cut financial lifelines to the whole region, with our first priority being to impede those who are perpetrating genocide against the Yazidi people.

We also need to keep in mind the need to rebuild not only cities and roads, but communities, and hopefully soon. That will be key to ensuring lasting peace.

I would like to close with a quote from the United Nations Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon, whom I believe was absolutely right when he said that over the longer term, the biggest threat to terrorists is not the power of missiles; it is the politics of inclusion.

Opposition Motion—Genocide Against the Yazidi peopleBusiness of SupplyGovernment Orders

11:15 a.m.

Conservative

Garnett Genuis Conservative Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan, AB

Mr. Speaker, I thank my hon. friend for her excellent speech and the work she does on these and other related issues.

One of the questions that I would like to raise in this debate is what the UN's definition of a refugee actually is, because it is clearly laid out by the UNHCR and in various agreements that a refugee is someone who “has a well-founded fear of persecution for reasons of race, religion, nationality, political opinion or membership in a particular social group.” Therefore, when we are talking about refugees, there is a certain sense of persecution entailed in that definition. Sometimes we hear from the government that we should not ask these questions or not look at people's background because of the issue of so-called discrimination. However, if we look at what the UN is saying to us about the definition of refugees, it does entail some element of persecution on identifiable grounds.

Could the member give her perspective on this?

Opposition Motion—Genocide Against the Yazidi peopleBusiness of SupplyGovernment Orders

11:15 a.m.

NDP

Hélène Laverdière NDP Laurier—Sainte-Marie, QC

Mr. Speaker, I understand my colleague's question, and I appreciate the work he is doing on a number of files.

We have to be very careful when talking about refugees. The first key criterion for granting refugee status remains vulnerability, which can be related to a range of factors such as age, children, and sexual orientation.

In this instance, genocide is being perpetrated against members of a well-defined group. That means these people are particularly vulnerable, and there is an urgent need to help them specifically. However, nationality, skin colour, or whatever should not be our primary filter. Our primary filter should be the vulnerability of the affected populations.

Opposition Motion—Genocide Against the Yazidi peopleBusiness of SupplyGovernment Orders

11:15 a.m.

Winnipeg North Manitoba

Liberal

Kevin Lamoureux LiberalParliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons

Mr. Speaker, as a former critic for citizenship and immigration, I understand and appreciate the many sensitivities surrounding the issue of refugees. I do feel very sympathetic, and I suspect that all members of the House see the horrific actions that are taking place abroad. It is very horrific what is happening to the Yazidi people in particular. Even though Canada has been there for a year, the government has demonstrated a great deal of sympathy toward people abroad and a great desire to help them. We have seen that in terms of the number of refugees who have come into Canada over the last year.

Recognizing the plight of Yazidis in particular and this particular issue, and the significant movement that the United Nations has made in this direction, what would my colleague recommend as an individual, and what does she believe all New Democrats would like to see this government do specifically with respect to the Yazidi people?

Opposition Motion—Genocide Against the Yazidi peopleBusiness of SupplyGovernment Orders

11:15 a.m.

NDP

Hélène Laverdière NDP Laurier—Sainte-Marie, QC

Mr. Speaker, I think it is actually pretty straightforward. We want action, swift action. Following the Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration's study, we have some recommendations, which I went over in my speech. As discussed this morning and mentioned by several people, other countries like Germany have introduced special, very effective processes. We could follow those examples, but one thing is certain: we need to act quickly, because this crisis, that has been unfolding for quite some time now, is still happening. We need to act now.

Opposition Motion—Genocide Against the Yazidi peopleBusiness of SupplyGovernment Orders

11:20 a.m.

NDP

Jenny Kwan NDP Vancouver East, BC

Mr. Speaker, I am compelled to rise in the House today to speak to and support the motion of the member for Calgary Nose Hill.

This summer, members of the Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration approved holding an emergency meeting for a study on protecting vulnerable groups.

The declaration made by the United Nations Human Rights Council in its report released in June of this year, entitled “'They came to destroy': ISIS Crimes Against the Yazidis”, explicitly stating the ongoing crime of genocide being committed, was certainly the impetus for this study.

While the committee had the opportunity to hear about vulnerable groups and internally displaced persons from a number of countries and regions, the testimony regarding the still ongoing situation facing the Yazidi people was nothing short of harrowing.

The Yazidi people follow an ancient religion believed to have been founded in the eleventh century and are a historically misunderstood group. One of the major points of this misunderstanding is Tawsi Melek, the peacock angel. The reverence for the peacock angel, a fallen but forgiven angel, has led them to be misconstrued throughout history as “devil worshippers”. Tragically, this gross misunderstanding has led to the Yazidi people being subjected to more than 70 genocidal massacres since the 18th century.

Today, the most recent attempt to exterminate the Yazidi people is happening before our eyes.

The UN Human Rights Council report and individuals appearing at the citizenship committee have provided heart-wrenching details of the crimes against humanity being perpetrated against these innocent people. To quote the UN report:

ISIS has sought to destroy the Yazidis through killings; sexual slavery, enslavement, torture and inhuman and degrading treatment and forcible transfer causing serious bodily and mental harm; the infliction of conditions of life that bring about a slow death; the imposition of measures to prevent Yazidi children from being born, including forced conversion of adults, the separation of Yazidi men and women, and mental trauma; and the transfer of Yazidi children from their own families and placing them with ISIS fighters, thereby cutting them off from beliefs and practices of their own religious community, and erasing their identity as Yazidis.

After the release of this report, the Minister of Foreign Affairs delivered a statement in the House of Commons echoing the declaration of genocide against the Yazidis. Unfortunately, despite this recognition and Canada's historic key role in the establishment of the international doctrine, “responsibility to protect”, the government has thus far failed to take any concrete and direct action to provide humanitarian assistance to the Yazidi people.

This report in turn served as both the impetus and foundation for an urgent, intensive study that was undertaken by the Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration, which took place from July 18 to 20, on immigration measures for the protection of vulnerable groups.

The committee had the opportunity to hear first-hand accounts from both survivors of trauma and those working on the ground to extract vulnerable people from suffering.

We received many thoughtful recommendations from individuals and organizations on how Canada can best position itself as a world leader in addressing the extreme suffering facing vulnerable people in the world today.

As a result of our committee's study, I had the privilege of meeting Ms. Nadia Murad, both through her appearance at committee and in a separate meeting.

Ms. Murad is a Yazidi genocide survivor. Her strength, resilience, and dedication to her people after facing such incredible atrocities, which attempted to strip away her humanity, are nothing short of astounding.

Ms. Murad was enjoying her summer vacation from school when ISIS attacked her peaceful village in Sinjar. She was preparing to enter grade six and focus on getting good grades. Horrifically, the next time she was at school was a moment she will never forget. As she explained to our committee:

I was in the village, along with more than 1,700 individuals, and we were seized for two weeks under the control of ISIL. We asked for help from all sides because we knew that our destiny would be for the men to be killed and for the women and children to be taken hostage. We asked for help, but unfortunately we did not get help. On August 15, they gathered us at the village school, they separated the men from the women. They killed our men. More than 700 men in a matter of two hours were killed in the village of Kocho. We saw our fathers, our brothers, and our sons getting killed at the outskirts of the village.

The atrocities did not stop there. Ms. Murad detailed what she and thousands of other Yazidi women and girls were subjected to. She said:

When they took us, the girls and children, we were not simply held prisoners, but they committed crimes against us. They forced us to change our religion. They raped us. They sold us. They leased us. This continues today against more than 3,000 women and children in Iraq and Syria.

In a show of unbelievable resilience, Ms. Murad was eventually able to escape ISIS enslavement. During our committee's study, I stated that this study was perhaps one of the most important moments of the work that we would do here at this committee, so for that reason, we needed to focus on solutions.

While much of the testimony we heard was of tragedy, the atrocities committed, the cataloguing of mass graves, and the discrimination that Yazidi people can still face, even within a refugee camp, we did hear that not only were there ways Canada could help, but these actions were already being taken by some countries.

Mr. Murad Ismael, the executive director of Yazda, spoke to the committee about the decision made by Germany. The German government acted quickly, formed a committee that was sent to Iraq, and engaged in an expedited process to bring 1,100 Yazidi women and children to Germany within a few months. Mr. Murad also informed us about project Yazda, which has been working with the Australian government to resettle Yazidis. We were further informed that they have registered about 200 people and believe about 300 in total will be resettled in Australia. Understanding the gravity of the situation, the Australian government bypassed the UN system, bringing these people directly to asylum in Australia.

Mr. Murad stated that his organization alone has a detailed database of 900 Yazidi women and children who have gone through similar atrocities and traumas as Ms. Murad, of which 600 are still in Iraq. Additionally, Mr. Mirza Ismail, from Yezidi Human Rights Organization International, noted that “In total there are about 3,363 Yazidi refugees in Greece”. There are also thousands currently in the Turkish camps.

Precious time has already passed since the summer when the committee met on an urgent basis. Action needs to be taken now. I implore all members of the House to recognize what we are talking about in this motion. It is genocide, and as Canadians we have a duty to act. Protecting human lives in the face of genocide is not something that should be done if it happens to fit within our “immigration levels plan”. This is an exceptional situation that requires exceptional action.

I laid out in my letter to the minister, as well as in my supplementary report for the summer's committee study, a series of recommendations for immediate action that can be taken. One such recommendation is included in this motion: to immediately act on the UN report's recommendations 210, 212, and 213.

I would like to quote Ms. Murad's committee testimony. She said:

When I was besieged I heard that thousands of girls had been taken as hostages. I thought, well, maybe they would take me as a hostage, and perhaps I would try to reason with them, try to convince them that I am a human being, that I have done nothing to deserve to be raped, to be sold for nothing. I thought I would try to reason with ISIL because they are human beings, but when they took me away they did not give me any chance to say anything, to say that I was a young girl, that I had the right to live. When ISIL did not give me the chance, did not want to hear from me, I said I was going to talk to the world, and the world would understand me. For more than six months I went to more than 17 countries, talking to presidents, to parliamentarians, and other people, and saying, “Listen up, we're talking about girls who are being raped in the jails of ISIL, people who are dying of starvation in the camps, thousands of children who have been deprived of education.” And they were just simply silent, quiet about it, quiet about our right as Yazidis.

If Canada is back, Canada cannot be simply silent. Canada must match its words with action. I implore all members of the House to support this motion.

Opposition Motion—Genocide Against the Yazidi peopleBusiness of SupplyGovernment Orders

11:30 a.m.

Kanata—Carleton Ontario

Liberal

Karen McCrimmon LiberalParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Veterans Affairs and Associate Minister of National Defence

Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the member's words of wisdom that she shared with us here this morning. I am very aware that this kind of violence against girls and women is really endemic around the world. Does she have any thoughts about how Canada could use its kind of power to improve the response of world bodies to this kind of situation?

Opposition Motion—Genocide Against the Yazidi peopleBusiness of SupplyGovernment Orders

11:30 a.m.

NDP

Jenny Kwan NDP Vancouver East, BC

Mr. Speaker, the wisdom actually did not come from me. It came from the witnesses who presented to us. Many of the words I used in my speech earlier were in fact from them.

What they are calling for us to do as leaders in Canada is to step up. There are recommendations that we can in fact take immediate action on right now. One such recommendation is to do what other countries have been doing. Germany is already on the ground providing support, taking Yazidi women and girls who are victims and survivors of genocide to safety. We can do that. Australia is doing a similar thing.

There are organizations on the ground who know where the victims are, and they can help with that effort. I would ask the Canadian government to work with the people who know what needs to be done, to look to other jurisdictions that are already doing this work, and to follow suit. Let us not talk about this anymore. Let us get to the action. Every single minute counts. It is about saving lives.

Opposition Motion—Genocide Against the Yazidi peopleBusiness of SupplyGovernment Orders

11:30 a.m.

Conservative

Garnett Genuis Conservative Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan, AB

Mr. Speaker, it is great to hear that the NDP is supporting the motion. We have heard some members in the government saying supportive things about this as well.

However, I would like to ask the member to comment a bit on the issue of the timeline for this. We have been calling and I think all opposition parties have been calling for action on this for quite some time. We had the rejection of a motion that identified this as genocide earlier, although it sounds like there is some movement back from that.

I wonder if the member could just comment again on the urgency for action on this issue, on which other countries have acted, and on the importance of Canada stepping up and really making sure we are helping the most vulnerable in response to this conflict.

Opposition Motion—Genocide Against the Yazidi peopleBusiness of SupplyGovernment Orders

11:30 a.m.

NDP

Jenny Kwan NDP Vancouver East, BC

Mr. Speaker, I would say the moment the UN declared with their report that this was a genocide, we needed to act.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs, in the House, also echoed that there is a genocide going on. We know that there are refugees throughout the world, and there are crises going on everywhere. The international community needs to step up. However, when there is a genocide going on and it has been acknowledged nationwide, we need to do more than to say that we have already brought in Syrian refugees.

To that end, I would say that action needs to be taken right now. A minute cannot be lost. We have already lost time since the summer hearing. We had an emergency sitting of our committee to look into this issue the minute the UN declared that there was a genocide. The committee came together and we heard witnesses throughout the course of the summer. Actions were identified that could be taken, coming out of that committee. Unfortunately, substantive recommendations were not received and made part of the report. As we can see, when the report was tabled they were not part of that.

I have provided a supplementary report, as did the member for Calgary Nose Hill. I hope that the government will now act. It is never too late to say that something can be done to save someone's life.

Opposition Motion—Genocide Against the Yazidi peopleBusiness of SupplyGovernment Orders

11:30 a.m.

NDP

Fin Donnelly NDP Port Moody—Coquitlam, BC

Mr. Speaker, I would like to ask the member if she would not agree that it is critically important to recognize all atrocities committed in the region, not just those by ISIS but also by Syrian President Assad's forces and the opposition militia.

Can the member comment on that? We have heard a lot about the impacts of ISIS, but not much on President Assad and his regime.

Opposition Motion—Genocide Against the Yazidi peopleBusiness of SupplyGovernment Orders

11:35 a.m.

NDP

Jenny Kwan NDP Vancouver East, BC

Mr. Speaker, the hon. member is absolutely right. There is not just a single area where we need to focus but rather multiple series of issues we need to focus on. The issue around the genocide is clearly established and that is why action needs to be taken.

Canada can do a lot more. As my colleague, the critic for foreign affairs has also identified, the government could address the issue around arms being sold to countries they should not be sold to. It is actually harming civilians. We could do something about that.

There is a multitude of actions that could be taken.