to s

tay

to re

turn

to m

ove

free

dom

to s

tay

to re

turn

to m

ove

free

dom

##

Wha

t is

the

Refu

gee

Cris

is?

“You

hav

e to

und

erst

and,

that

no

one

puts

thei

r ch

ildre

n in

a b

oat

unle

ss th

e w

ater

is s

afer

than

the

land

” -

War

san

Shir

e

Ther

e ar

e ov

er 5

9.5

mill

ion

disp

lace

d pe

ople

aro

und

the

wor

ld,

the

high

est

leve

r ev

er r

ecor

ded.

42,

500

peop

le a

re f

orce

d to

lea

ve t

heir

ho

mes

eve

ryda

y du

e to

mili

tary

con

flict

s.

Econ

omic

dev

asta

tion

and

clim

ate

chan

ge a

re a

lso

forc

ing

fam

ilies

out

of

the

ir h

omes

. W

orld

Ban

k-fu

nded

pro

ject

s di

spla

ced

3.4

mill

ion

peop

le o

ver

the

past

dec

ade

and

by t

he y

ear

2020

it is

exp

ecte

d th

at

ther

e w

ill b

e 50

mill

ion

clim

ate

refu

gees

, m

ostl

y fr

om t

he A

fric

an

cont

inen

t.

Nor

th A

mer

ican

and

Eur

opea

n co

untr

ies

and

thei

r co

rpor

atio

ns a

re

part

ly

resp

onsi

ble

for

crea

ting

this

un

prec

eden

ted

disp

lace

men

t. Ca

nada

is

carr

ying

out

mili

tary

cam

paig

ns i

n pl

aces

lik

e Sy

ria

and

Afgh

anis

tan.

Ca

nada

’s

refu

sal

to

take

ac

tion

on

the

clim

ate

is

acce

lera

ting

clim

ate

cata

stro

phe.

Ca

nada

al

low

s its

m

inin

g co

rpor

atio

ns li

ke N

evsu

n an

d G

oldc

orp

to c

omm

it fo

ur ti

mes

as

man

y vi

olat

ions

as

othe

r co

untr

ies.

Bec

ause

Ca

nadi

an

gove

rnm

ent

polic

ies

and

corp

orat

ions

ar

e re

spon

sibl

e, w

e ha

ve a

res

pons

ibili

ty t

o en

d Ca

nada

’s r

ole

in f

orce

d di

spla

cem

ent

arou

nd

the

wor

ld

and

on

thes

e In

dige

nous

la

nds.

#

Ref

ugee

sWel

com

e is

a c

all f

or th

e fr

eedo

m to

sta

y, m

ove

and

retu

rn.

The

deat

hs o

f Ala

n, G

halib

and

Reh

ana

Kurd

i hav

e aw

aken

ed m

any

to a

gl

obal

cris

is.

This

cris

is is

n’t i

nevi

tabl

e. W

e ca

n ac

t tog

ethe

r to

insi

st:

#Ref

ugee

sWel

com

e!

Wha

t is

the

Refu

gee

Cris

is?

“You

hav

e to

und

erst

and,

that

no

one

puts

thei

r ch

ildre

n in

a b

oat

unle

ss th

e w

ater

is s

afer

than

the

land

” -

War

san

Shir

e

Ther

e ar

e ov

er 5

9.5

mill

ion

disp

lace

d pe

ople

aro

und

the

wor

ld,

the

high

est

leve

r ev

er r

ecor

ded.

42,

500

peop

le a

re f

orce

d to

lea

ve t

heir

ho

mes

eve

ryda

y du

e to

mili

tary

con

flict

s.

Econ

omic

dev

asta

tion

and

clim

ate

chan

ge a

re a

lso

forc

ing

fam

ilies

out

of

the

ir h

omes

. W

orld

Ban

k-fu

nded

pro

ject

s di

spla

ced

3.4

mill

ion

peop

le o

ver

the

past

dec

ade

and

by t

he y

ear

2020

it is

exp

ecte

d th

at

ther

e w

ill b

e 50

mill

ion

clim

ate

refu

gees

, m

ostl

y fr

om t

he A

fric

an

cont

inen

t and

low

-lyi

ng n

atio

ns.

Nor

th A

mer

ican

and

Eur

opea

n co

untr

ies

and

thei

r co

rpor

atio

ns a

re

part

ly

resp

onsi

ble

for

crea

ting

this

un

prec

eden

ted

disp

lace

men

t. Ca

nada

is

carr

ying

out

mili

tary

cam

paig

ns i

n pl

aces

lik

e Sy

ria

and

Afgh

anis

tan.

Ca

nada

’s

refu

sal

to

take

ac

tion

on

the

clim

ate

is

acce

lera

ting

clim

ate

cata

stro

phe.

Ca

nada

al

low

s its

m

inin

g co

rpor

atio

ns li

ke N

evsu

n an

d G

oldc

orp

to c

omm

it fo

ur ti

mes

as

man

y vi

olat

ions

as

othe

r co

untr

ies.

Bec

ause

Ca

nadi

an

gove

rnm

ent

polic

ies

and

corp

orat

ions

ar

e re

spon

sibl

e, w

e ha

ve a

res

pons

ibili

ty t

o en

d Ca

nada

’s r

ole

in f

orce

d di

spla

cem

ent

arou

nd

the

wor

ld

and

on

thes

e In

dige

nous

la

nds.

#

Ref

ugee

sWel

com

e is

a c

all f

or th

e fr

eedo

m to

sta

y, m

ove

and

retu

rn.

The

deat

hs o

f Ala

n, G

halib

and

Reh

ana

Kurd

i hav

e aw

aken

ed m

any

to a

gl

obal

cris

is.

This

cris

is is

n’t i

nevi

tabl

e. W

e ca

n ac

t tog

ethe

r to

insi

st:

#Ref

ugee

sWel

com

e!

How

Has

Can

ada

Resp

onde

d to

the

Refu

gee

Cris

is?

Mor

e th

an

half

of

the

wor

ld’s

en

tire

refu

gee

popu

latio

n co

mes

fr

om

Afgh

anis

tan,

Syr

ia a

nd S

omal

ia.

Pus

hed

out

of t

heir

hom

es,

mig

rant

s an

d re

fuge

es f

ace

trem

endo

us v

iole

nce

in s

earc

h of

fre

edom

. D

espi

te t

his,

th

ousa

nds

are

cros

sing

bor

ders

int

o Eu

rope

eve

ryda

y in

one

of

the

larg

est

colle

ctiv

e ac

ts o

f civ

il di

sobe

dien

ce in

rec

ent h

isto

ry. I

nspi

red

by th

is c

oura

ge,

com

mun

ities

of

peop

le i

n Eu

rope

hav

e ri

sen

up t

o w

elco

me

them

. O

ver

30

com

mun

ities

in C

anad

a ha

ve d

one

the

sam

e.

Cana

da h

as t

aken

les

s th

an 1

0% o

f th

e co

mpl

etel

y in

adeq

uate

10,

000

Syri

an

refu

gees

th

at

it pr

omis

ed,

whi

le

refu

gees

fr

om

all

coun

trie

s ar

e sy

stem

atic

ally

tu

rned

aw

ay.

Dec

ades

be

fore

th

e cu

rren

t cr

isis

, Ca

nada

ai

rlift

ed 5

,000

peo

ple

from

Kos

ovo

in t

he l

ate

1990

s, 5

,000

fro

m U

gand

a in

19

72, a

nd 6

0,00

0 Vi

etna

mes

e in

1979

-80.

But

in th

e w

hole

of 2

015,

Can

ada

only

as

sist

ed 1

88 r

efug

ees

from

Syr

ia a

nd o

nly

7,57

3 re

fuge

es f

rom

the

ent

ire

wor

ld.

Man

y re

fuge

es t

here

fore

mak

e re

fuge

e cl

aim

s w

ithin

Can

ada.

But

ref

ugee

ac

cept

ance

rat

es h

ave

falle

n 30

% u

nder

the

cur

rent

gov

ernm

ent.

Ref

ugee

se

eker

s in

Can

ada

have

few

er a

venu

es to

imm

igra

tion

stat

us, f

ace

man

dato

ry

impr

ison

men

t fo

r th

em

and

thei

r ch

ildre

n,

a tw

o-tie

r sy

stem

th

at

disc

rim

inat

es b

ased

on

natio

nalit

y, a

nd la

ck o

f acc

ess

to a

dequ

ate

heal

thca

re

and

soci

al

assi

stan

ce.

With

re

duce

d nu

mbe

rs

of

fam

ily

spon

sors

hips

, re

fuge

es li

ke o

ther

imm

igra

nts,

can

not r

euni

te w

ith th

eir

fam

ilies

.

#R

efug

eesW

elco

me

calls

for

just

ice

and

dign

ity fo

r al

l ref

ugee

s an

d m

igra

nts,

w

hich

mea

ns:

•

An

over

haul

of t

he r

efug

ee s

yste

m

• P

erm

anen

t res

iden

cy

• L

abou

r pr

otec

tions

•

End

to d

eten

tions

and

dep

orta

tions

•

Ful

l soc

ial a

nd e

cono

mic

equ

ality

“Wel

com

e”

mea

ns

mor

e th

an

sim

ply

ente

ring

Ca

nada

; it

is

a ca

ll fo

r tr

ansf

orm

atio

n of

the

str

uctu

res

of t

he c

ount

ry t

o en

sure

ful

l rac

ial,

gend

er,

econ

omic

, and

soc

ial j

ustic

e fo

r al

l.

Wha

t Can

I Do

?P

ledg

e yo

ur H

ome

to W

elco

me

Ref

ugee

s at

Ref

ugee

sWel

com

e.ca

. Fi

nd a

n ev

ent n

ear

you

or O

rgan

ize

one

with

the

help

of o

ur T

oolk

it at

: w

ww

.Ref

ugee

sWel

com

e.ca

. Le

arn

abou

t Key

Dis

crim

inat

ory

Chan

ges

to C

anad

ian

Imm

igra

tion

and

Ref

ugee

Pol

icy

at N

ever

Hom

e.ca

/NoO

neIs

Illeg

alN

etw

ork

@no

onei

sille

gal

How

Has

Can

ada

Resp

onde

d to

the

Refu

gee

Cris

is?

Mor

e th

an

half

of

the

wor

ld’s

en

tire

refu

gee

popu

latio

n co

mes

fr

om

Afgh

anis

tan,

Syr

ia a

nd S

omal

ia.

Pus

hed

out

of t

heir

hom

es,

mig

rant

s an

d re

fuge

es f

ace

trem

endo

us v

iole

nce

in s

earc

h of

fre

edom

. D

espi

te t

his,

th

ousa

nds

are

cros

sing

bor

ders

int

o Eu

rope

eve

ryda

y in

one

of

the

larg

est

colle

ctiv

e ac

ts o

f civ

il di

sobe

dien

ce in

rec

ent h

isto

ry. I

nspi

red

by th

is c

oura

ge,

com

mun

ities

of

peop

le i

n Eu

rope

hav

e ri

sen

up t

o w

elco

me

them

. O

ver

30

com

mun

ities

in C

anad

a ha

ve d

one

the

sam

e.

Cana

da h

as t

aken

les

s th

an 1

0% o

f th

e co

mpl

etel

y in

adeq

uate

10,

000

Syri

an

refu

gees

th

at

it pr

omis

ed,

whi

le

refu

gees

fr

om

all

coun

trie

s ar

e sy

stem

atic

ally

tu

rned

aw

ay.

Dec

ades

be

fore

th

e cu

rren

t cr

isis

, Ca

nada

ai

rlift

ed 5

,000

peo

ple

from

Kos

ovo

in t

he l

ate

1990

s, 5

,000

fro

m U

gand

a in

19

72, a

nd 6

0,00

0 Vi

etna

mes

e in

1979

-80.

But

in th

e w

hole

of 2

015,

Can

ada

only

as

sist

ed 1

88 r

efug

ees

from

Syr

ia a

nd o

nly

7,57

3 re

fuge

es f

rom

the

ent

ire

wor

ld.

Man

y re

fuge

es t

here

fore

mak

e re

fuge

e cl

aim

s w

ithin

Can

ada.

But

ref

ugee

ac

cept

ance

rat

es h

ave

falle

n 30

% u

nder

the

cur

rent

gov

ernm

ent.

Ref

ugee

se

eker

s in

Can

ada

have

few

er a

venu

es to

imm

igra

tion

stat

us, f

ace

man

dato

ry

impr

ison

men

t fo

r th

em

and

thei

r ch

ildre

n,

a tw

o-tie

r sy

stem

th

at

disc

rim

inat

es b

ased

on

natio

nalit

y, a

nd la

ck o

f acc

ess

to a

dequ

ate

heal

thca

re

and

soci

al

assi

stan

ce.

With

re

duce

d nu

mbe

rs

of

fam

ily

spon

sors

hips

, re

fuge

es li

ke o

ther

imm

igra

nts,

can

not r

euni

te w

ith th

eir

fam

ilies

.

#R

efug

eesW

elco

me

calls

for

just

ice

and

dign

ity fo

r al

l ref

ugee

s an

d m

igra

nts,

w

hich

mea

ns:

•

An

over

haul

of t

he r

efug

ee s

yste

m

• P

erm

anen

t res

iden

cy

• L

abou

r pr

otec

tions

•

End

to d

eten

tions

and

dep

orta

tions

•

Ful

l soc

ial a

nd e

cono

mic

equ

ality

“Wel

com

e”

mea

ns

mor

e th

an

sim

ply

ente

ring

Ca

nada

; it

is

a ca

ll fo

r tr

ansf

orm

atio

n of

the

str

uctu

res

of t

he c

ount

ry t

o en

sure

ful

l rac

ial,

gend

er,

econ

omic

, and

soc

ial j

ustic

e fo

r al

l.

Wha

t Can

I Do

?P

ledg

e yo

ur H

ome

to W

elco

me

Ref

ugee

s at

Ref

ugee

sWel

com

e.ca

. Fi

nd a

n ev

ent n

ear

you

or O

rgan

ize

one

with

the

help

of o

ur T

oolk

it at

: w

ww

.Ref

ugee

sWel

com

e.ca

. Le

arn

abou

t Key

Dis

crim

inat

ory

Chan

ges

to C

anad

ian

Imm

igra

tion

and

Ref

ugee

Pol

icy

at N

ever

Hom

e.ca

/NoO

neIs

Illeg

alN

etw

ork

@no

onei

sille

gal