Syrian refugees seek Canadian asylum, support
Advertisement
Read this article for free:
or
Already have an account? Log in here »
To continue reading, please subscribe:
Digital Subscription
One year of digital access for only $75*
- Enjoy unlimited reading on winnipegfreepress.com
- Read the E-Edition, our digital replica newspaper
- Access News Break, our award-winning app
- Play interactive puzzles
*Billed as $5.77 plus GST every four weeks. After 52 weeks, price increases to the regular rate of $19.95 plus GST every four weeks. Offer available to new and qualified returning subscribers only. Cancel any time.
Monthly Digital Subscription
$4.99/week*
- Enjoy unlimited reading on winnipegfreepress.com
- Read the E-Edition, our digital replica newspaper
- Access News Break, our award-winning app
- Play interactive puzzles
*Billed as $19.95 plus GST every four weeks. Cancel any time.
To continue reading, please subscribe:
Add Free Press access to your Brandon Sun subscription for only an additional
$1 for the first 4 weeks*
- Enjoy unlimited reading on winnipegfreepress.com
- Read the E-Edition, our digital replica newspaper
- Access News Break, our award-winning app
- Play interactive puzzles
*Your next Brandon Sun subscription payment will increase by $1.00 and you will be charged $17.95 plus GST for four weeks. After four weeks, your payment will increase to $24.95 plus GST every four weeks.
Read unlimited articles for free today:
or
Already have an account? Log in here »
Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 28/07/2012 (5041 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
OTTAWA — An increasing number of Syrian asylum seekers have been fleeing to Canada to escape the civil war that continues to cut a bloody swath across their homeland.
At the same time, Syrian-Canadians are asking the federal government to open the doors to friends and relatives facing what they say is extreme risk of torture or death at the hands of President Bashar al-Assad’s forces.
Figures obtained by Postmedia News show the number of Syrians claiming refugee status after arriving in Canada grew sharply in the past nine months.
From October to June, the Immigration and Refugee Board received 213 claims for refugee status from Syrian nationals inside Canada, and 320 since protests against Assad’s rule began in January 2011. This compares to 127 in of 2010, 84 in 2009, and 70 in 2008.
Such an increase is not unusual; Canada also saw a spike in refugee claims from Libya during the eight-month conflict that eventually ousted Moammar Gadhafi from power last year.
But with no end to the conflict in sight, and the UN already struggling to help the more than 120,000 Syrians who have fled into neighbouring countries, the flow is likely to continue.
Members of the Syrian-Canadian community are preparing to hand the federal government a list of Syrians they say are at risk in the hopes those individuals can find refuge in Canada. This comes after a face-to-face meeting with Baird in Ottawa on Wednesday.
“We proposed during the meeting Canada accept a limited number of refugees, especially those at risk of direct persecution,” said Faizel Alazem of the Syrian Canadian Council.
Foreign Affairs officials indicated they were in favour of providing assistance, said Afra Jalabi of the Syrian National Council, who was in attendance.
But the officials also told her the decision ultimately lies with Citizenship and Immigration Canada, she said.
“CIC is aware of the situation in Syria and continues to monitor events closely,” said Immigration Minister Jason Kenney’s spokeswoman, Alexis Pavlich.
— Postmedia News