After Assad’s ouster from Syria, what’s next for refugee claims in Canada? – Nationally
After more than a decade of civil war that left millions dead, the ouster of Bashar al-Assad as president of Syria by the Syrian rebel movement on Sunday raises questions about what should happen now regarding asylum applications in Syria.
Several European countries have temporarily suspended or partially suspended the processing of asylum applications from Syria. But what does the future hold for Canada’s Syrian refugee program?
Speaking to reporters in Ottawa, Immigration Minister Marc Miller said Canada will continue to evaluate asylum applications, as the country is not facing the same pressure or numbers of refugees as countries like Germany or Austria.
“We are not facing that flow in Canada. I don’t know what the level is in terms of countries where asylum seekers are found, but it is very low,” said Miller.
Canada has just 1,600 pending refugee claims from Syria as of September 30.
Germany has more than 47,000 pending refugee applications from the country, according to the Associated Press.
Since 2015, more than 100,000 Syrian refugees have been resettled in Canada.
The plight of Syrians fleeing Assad’s brutal attacks became part of Canada’s 2015 election campaign rhetoric after a photo of three-year-old Syrian boy Alan Kurdi drowning face down on a Turkish beach shocked Canadians.
Relatives of Kurds who fled Syria and were sponsored by the BC family were able to come to Canada in December 2015.
A spokesperson for Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada told Global News that they cannot predict what the policy changes might be.
“We are closely monitoring the situation and cannot speculate on future policy decisions. We will not comment on the decisions taken by other countries,” said the statement.
The statement added that resettled Syrian refugees have come to Canada as permanent residents.
Applications for asylum in Canada are heard by the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada (IRB), an independent, court-like tribunal.
Marwa Khobieh, executive director of the Syrian Canadian Foundation, said that while Syrians felt “great joy” over the fall of the Assad regime, the refugee crisis was far from over.
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“I was very concerned and disappointed by these reports that some countries are suspending or stopping (applications) for asylum seekers. Conditions on the ground in Syria are not yet safe for most of the refugees to return. There is still a lack of basic services, basic infrastructure,” he told Global News.
Gauri Sreenivasan, director general of the Canadian Refugee Council, said Canada’s response in the past few days has been “very positive.”
“I’m glad to see the Canadian government is not in a hurry to show that there is a change in policy. I think what is needed here is regular monitoring,” he said.
‘Syrians want to visit, but they haven’t left’
Khobieh said that despite their happiness, members of the Syrian diaspora are worried about family members back home, especially those who were political prisoners under the Assad regime.
“Almost every family in Syria has a relative or a loved one imprisoned. Most of them are innocent. They did not commit a crime. Most of them are in the wrong place where they are being searched for and disappeared for years,” he said, adding that there are many people who put the information of their loved ones on social media or social groups to see if they are alive and if they are released. revolutionaries.
Khobieh said he hopes to visit his hometown of Damascus one day soon, but for many Syrians, going back is still a tall order.
“Many people would like to visit. But I think that leaving Canada is still premature,” he said.
While the rebel coalition has several factions, the group believed to be leading attacks across Syria is Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham, or HTS.
HTS, an Islamist group listed as a terrorist group in Canada and the US that used to work with al-Qaida, has worked to distance itself from the terrorist group and promised protection to Syrian minorities such as Christians and Alawites.
Evren Altinkas, an adjunct professor at the University of Guelph, said Canada should take a close look at the situation.
“There will be an increase in refugees from Syria, especially Shiite groups, Alawite and Druze groups, Christians and Kurds if the war continues,” he said.
“I believe that Canada should start looking at any kind of opportunity to help these people, because I expect another operation soon.”
Kobieh said, “Policy should always focus on providing refuge to those fleeing violence and instability, while also contributing to international efforts to stabilize and hopefully rebuild Syria.”
The Canadian Council for Refugees is also warning Canadian politicians about politicizing the issue.
“We really encourage politicians to be very careful in their speech, not to mislead the public and to see the strong support (among Canadian Syrian refugees) that continues to exist,” Sreenivasan said.
Germany opened its doors wide to a surge in asylum seekers in 2015 when the civil war broke out in Syria, and is now home to nearly a million Syrians, the largest population in Europe.
Berlin’s Interior Ministry said on Monday it would not process asylum applications until there was more clarity on political developments in Syria. Britain has temporarily suspended decisions on asylum applications, with the Home Office saying it is assessing the situation.
Under the British government’s scheme, 20,319 Syrian refugees were repatriated between March 2014 and February 2021, according to the Refugee Council.
Other countries including Norway, Italy, Austria and the Netherlands have also announced a freeze on Syrian claims. France said it hoped to announce a similar decision soon.
In a statement, the Italian government said it would maintain a diplomatic presence in Damascus, expressing “deep gratitude” to embassy staff there.
– via files from Canadian Press and Reuters
