Statement from World Refugee & Migration Council Chair Lloyd Axworthy
Canadians see ours as a nation of refuge. We have always recognized the need to do our part in the shared responsibility to provide safe haven for those fleeing war and persecution. Community sponsorship of refugees was first introduced in the early 1980s in response to the urgent need to resettle newcomers from Indochina. That unique Canadian innovation quickly became a cornerstone of our much-admired refugee policy, allowing neighbours and friends a direct role in showing an openness of heart and a generosity of spirit. Community sponsorship has led to a positive attitude to settlement issues and has become a major source of private support. Our example has inspired other countries to adopt the same approach.
But now, the federal government has shelved the community-supported Private Sponsorship of Refugees program. That decision is another backwards step in a recent series of immigration measures that have damaged our global reputation and betrayed our collective commitment.
The government claims that community sponsorship must be suspended for administrative reasons. We believe the real reason is political: demands from provincial premiers and pressure from Washington. The World Refugee & Migration Council decries the decision to abandon this pillar of our refugee policy simply to appease those who unfairly blame newcomers for economic and social ills that result from government mismanagement. We call for an immediate parliamentary examination of this retrograde and damaging decision.
Contact us: info@wrmcouncil.org
