Mr. Speaker, the civil war in Syria began in early 2011 with Syrians gathering to call for political reforms and the reinstatement of civil rights. They also called for an end to the emergency law, which has been in place since 1962. The demonstration and clashes with police have deteriorated into an all-out civil war and calls for the ouster of President Bashar al-Assad and his regime.
Since August, 2011, the Government of Canada has initiated a series of increasing sanctions. These sanctions range from freezing the assets of Syrian individuals to the prohibition of import or export of goods and services, except for food. Unfortunately, these sanctions do not have any effect on members of the al-Assad regime.
On October, 2011, I proposed a motion in the House, which read:
That this House condemn the brutal attacks on members of the Syrian movement for democratic change and accountable government by the Bashar al-Assad regime; call on the Bashar al-Assad regime to meet the Arab League 15-day deadline to enact a cease-fire and to begin a dialogue between government officials and opposition representatives; accept the United Nations Human Rights Council’s commission of inquiry into the violence in Syria to find out exactly what happened and to put an end to civilian deaths; and, ensure that all the perpetrators of these attacks are brought to justice and bear the full weight of the law.
Unfortunately, members on the other side of the House did not see fit to support my motion. Over the past 21 months the people of Syria have watched their world dissolve around them. They have seen their homes and shops destroyed with bombs and gunfire. They have witnessed the deaths of their friends, neighbours and loved ones. They have waited in terror for the loved ones who have been arrested and taken to one of the 27 torture centres. When the fear and waiting finally take their toll, hundreds of thousands have fled to neighbouring countries.
Syrian Canadians are calling on their government to help their friends and loved ones in Syria. The Liberal Party of Canada and the Syrian Canadian Council are urging the government to match, dollar for dollar, moneys raised by the Syrian Canadian community through recognized charitable organizations. These moneys would help to provide food, shelter, blankets and medical aid to the hundreds of thousands of Syrian refugees.
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees estimates that more than half a million Syrians have claimed refuge in the neighbouring countries of Lebanon, Jordan, Turkey, Iraq and the North African countries. Many Syrians who have fled their homeland did not register with the UNHCR when they first left Syria, feeling that they could live on their own resources as the conflict would be short. Unfortunately, their resources are now running out and the host communities and/or their families can no longer support them. Also, more than 2.5 million Syrians inside Syria will be in need of humanitarian assistance as winter approaches.
I received the following email from Tarek. He wrote, “The Assad regime is still punishing Syrian people for demanding their freedom and basic rights.... It is targeting schools, mosques, shopping areas and, most importantly, bakeries. In the second largest city in Syria, Aleppo, people are pleading with the world for any supply of wheat, flour and food”.
I received another email from Selma. She wants Canada to make a commitment to protect refugees and internally displaced people. This includes the commitment of humanitarian aid to refugees in refugee camps in surrounding countries. She writes, “The threat of infectious disease also continues to grow with the conflict. As a result, aid must also include medical support [a]nd support specifically for women who have faced sexual violence, as this is a continuing trauma”.
Canadians are a generous people and in times of crisis they dig deep to help their fellow man. All Canadians want is a little leadership from their government. It is time for the government to step up to the plate and give Canadians a vehicle to help those who are suffering in Syria. When will the Conservative government match, dollar for dollar, the money that has been and is being raised by the Syrian Canadian community to help the people of Syria?
The seventh report of the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development states, in part, that the committee “supports the Government’s efforts to expedite family reunification for Syrians who are sponsored by Syrian-Canadians and who face individualized personal risk”.
In answer to a question on Friday, December 7, the Minister of Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism stated in part, “we have accelerated some 200 applications that were outstanding for family reunification by Canadians who have made applications for reunification of Syrian nationals”.
The committee was not only supporting the government's acceleration of existing applications, but was calling for the government to expedite new family reunification applications for individuals who faced personal risk and were sponsored by Syrian Canadians.
After the 2004 tsunami, the Liberal government established a protocol to be used in case of natural or man-made disasters. The most important tenets of the protocol were, “To fast-track immigration to Canada of family-class individuals whose applications were being processed by Citizenship and Immigration Canada and to fast track to Canada family-class applications for individuals from the area affected by the natural or man-made disasters” and “To issue Visitor Visas to immediate family members from the affected area so they can join their relatives in Canada, on a temporary basis”.
The government used this protocol in the wake of the earthquakes in Haiti and China. Why will it not use it now?
I have received a number of emails from concerned Syrian Canadians. I would like to read some of them into the record.
Noura writes, “The most important step...is to facilitate the re-unification and the sponsorship of families who have loved ones suffering in the warstricken area. The new Syria will not forget the countries and people who have helped it in its pursuit for freedom, dignity, fairness and the right to live an honourable life”.
Selma wants Canada to help by, “Allowing Syrian refugees to enter Canada as refugees as it is apparent the Syrian state structure has collapsed and there is no argument to support that citizens of Syria are safe where they are”.
Rami writes, “I call on the Canadian government to help ease the process of transition for Syrians applying for student permits by providing emergency grant funding to assist them in making the transition. Efforts are already underway with groups such as Jusoor trying to establish sponsorship programs for Syrian students applying to continue their education in Canada”.
Motaz just asks a simple question, “Why don't we open our door to accept some of the refugees?”
I wish I could answer Motaz's question, but I cannot. Maybe the minister can. Canada has a long history of opening its doors to refugees.
In recent history, we have opened our doors to: 12,000 Czech refugees after the Prague Spring; 13,000 Chileans fleeing the persecution and the authoritarian rule of General Pinochet; 20,000 Soviet Jewish refugees who were being denied the right to express and practise their religion; 4,420 Ugandan Asian refugees following Idi Amin's expulsion of Asians from Uganda; 60,000 Vietnamese boat people; 5,000 Bosnian Muslims who were victims of the Yugoslavian civil war, which was characterized by ethnic cleansing and genocide; 5,500 Albanian Kosovar; 3,900 Karen refugees from Burma; and almost 4,000 Iraqi refugees.
What is the government waiting for? The government does not seem to have an answer. In fact, it does not seem to be any logical answer. Canadians want their government to act. They want their government to show some leadership in this situation.
Selma, who I mentioned earlier, further writes, “Canada has a legacy of being an international protector. We have lost that recently but we can try to regain that for the sake of the preservation of humanity. Canada has relatively good relations with China and Russia, two supporters of the current Syrian regime. The Canadian government should use such relations to mobilize the international community against the actions of Bashar al-Assad”.
Over its term in office, the government has almost always come late to the party. Its retreat from the international stage has cost Canada dearly. We were unable to gain a seat on the United Nations Security Council and this has limited our ability to influence members of the international community.
Unfortunately, Russia and China, two permanent members of the Security Council, have continuously voted against applying any sanctions against the al-Assad regime. This has ensured that the international community must stand by and watch the regime murder its citizens.
The right to protest and voice one's dissent is guaranteed by the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
One Canadian woman who was born in Syria has become an outspoken activist online. She has protested, posted updates and made comments against the al-Assad regime. Unable to silence her, the al-Assad regime has taken her brother into custody in Syria to be questioned about his sister's political activities. His family does not know where he was taken. While the al-Assad regime cannot actively silence a Canadian citizen, it is using the implied threat of detention and torture of her family members to silence her.
How many other Canadian citizens are having their charter rights denied by the Syrian regime because they fear for the safety of their loved ones? Will the government take the principled stand and recognize the Syrian opposition coalition as the legitimate representative of the Syrian people?
Once again, Canada is late coming to the table. Of the 193 United Nations member states, more than 100 have recognized the Syrian opposition coalition. Today, the United States recognized the Syrian opposition coalition as the legitimate representative of the Syrian people, who are signalling to the coalition that radical groups cannot play a part in Syria's eventual political transition. Canada has not done so. We are waiting because the minister has some concerns about the opposition, including its ability to send clear messages, to include religious minorities, and the minister also insists that no extremist groups be involved with the coalition. The minister has no hesitation about continuing to recognize the al-Assad regime, which is sending a clear message to the world that it will hang on at all costs. If that means bombing men, women and children, so be it. When will the government get its priorities straight?
Members of the Syrian National Council and the Syrian Canadian Council met with the Minister of Foreign Affairs in July. During their meeting, they asked the government to do the following:
1. Expedite the processing of family members sponsored by Syrian-Canadians and Syrian permanent residents in Canada, giving priority to those displaced or in refugee camps in Jordan, Lebanon and Turkey.
2. Accord priority processing to already submitted immigration applications from persons normally residing in areas affected by the fighting especially those who have been displaced.
3. Canada to admit a limited number of political refugees who face grave danger in Syria and in the surrounding countries, especially those with family members in Canada.
4. Canada to facilitate issuing temporary resident permits to the families of Canadians of a Syrian background living in Syria and neighboring countries, especially those who need protection against retributions by the Syrian regime.
5. In keeping with measures undertaken in similar circumstances in the past, permit Syrian temporary residents in Canada to remain in Canada and to take employment to enable them to support themselves. If the situation in Syria is not resolved within a reasonable period, it would be consistent with Canada‘s humanitarian Immigrations practices to permit such persons to apply for permanent residence in Canada.
The Syrian Canadian Council and the Syrian National Council have requested a meeting with the Minister of Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism. They are waiting for an answer. When will the minister meet to address their concerns? When will the government take all possible steps to help the citizens of Syria?