Canada puts its Syria refugee plan to the test

Feature: While Europe grapples with terrorist threats and increasing Islamophobia, Canada prepares to receive 25,000 Syrian refugees amid speculation over the eventual outcome of its refugee resettlement model.

Analysis

3 min read

Hassan Shaqrani

04 December, 2015

Canada is expected resettle 25,000 Syrian refugees in the next three months [AFP]

While Europe grapples with terrorist threats and increasing Islamophobia, one country on the other side of the Atlantic is preparing to receive Syrian refugees - amid speculation about the outcome of the Canadian refugee resettlement model.

The Canadian government has announced its plans to receive 25,000 Syrian refugees in the next three months, with 10,000 scheduled to be admitted before the end of the year, and the remaining 15,000 before the end of February 2016.

The refugees will be granted temporary stay permits and resettled in 36 Canadian cities

The refugees will be granted temporary stay permits and resettled in 36 Canadian cities in coordination with local refugee resettlement charities.

The plan, introduced by the government of newly elected Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, reflects a marked difference between Canadian attitudes and the increasing anti-refugee sentiments expressed in the United States and Europe.

However, to alleviate the fears of "terrorist infiltration" among the ranks of refugees, the government has decided to send 500 military and civil personnel to the Middle East to vet those making the journey.

Worlds apart

Soon after the government's decision to admit 25,000 Syrian refugees, preparations were underway to erect temporary shelters for the new arrivals.

In the Valcartier army base, north of Quebec City, temporary housing was being built for 1,500 refugees who will be part of the first instalment of arrivals.

Mohammad, a Syrian refugee who arrived in Montreal three months ago, described his journey as "escaping hell and degradation in an attempt to build a new future".

Unlike the frustrations expressed by many refugees in Europe, Mohammad seems upbeat about his new prospects after being able to enroll in a university course, which will help him rebuild the life he lost in Syria.

Coffee and integration

In a central Montreal cafe, two Syrian families sat sipping American coffee - instead of the Turkish-style brew they were used to back home.

"Did you see the posters that were put up in bus stations in France by the far-right, saying they had warned against admitting refugees?" one woman asked the other.

The other pointed out that she had seen an Arab man in a shopping centre wearing the traditional thawb. "This cannot continue. Such things cannot be tolerated," she said.

Borne not of intolerance, but from a fear of intolerance, the sentiment implied that new arrivals should integrate more quickly, and dress like locals, to avoid stigmatisation of the whole refugee community.

The conversation between the two families was indicative of their sensitivity towards the anti-refugee sentiments that are being expressed in various western quarters - and the families' deep desire to integrate and find a degree of stability.

The election of the Liberal Party and its messages of plurality and multiculturalism have also helped in the reduction of anti-refugee sentiments

After the deadly attacks in Paris, many Canadians are worried about how refugees are admitted, but still support their resettlement in the country according to a poll conducted by the Montreal Gazette.

The election of the Liberal Party and its messages of plurality and multiculturalism have also helped in the reduction of anti-refugee sentiment - which only seems to be building momentum across the border in the United States.

Furthermore, many observers believe that Middle Eastern immigrants and refugees integrate into North American societies faster than they do in Europe, because the US and Canada are seen as nations of immigrants.

The Canadian plan for refugee resettlement will be put to the test once the 25,000 Syrians are admitted into the country, and all those concerned are hoping that Canada's multicultural society can absorb them without incident.