Syrian Refugees

As the situation unfolds and worsens in Syria, I'm reminded of the interactions I've had with recently-arrived refugees from Syria to Canada. As healthcare was not always present in great quality in Syria or the refugee camps that most of these arrivals to Canada spent the last 5+ years, many ended up arriving with neglected medical conditions. Some of these have been quite dramatic - without providing details, some of these refugees realistically would have died years ago but through some combination of willpower or sheer luck managed to survive to this point. Some very unique cases have made their way to the hospitals in Canada, and are fortunately receiving care.

Canada has had the enormous luxury of choosing exactly which Syrian families get to arrive. We've clearly been discerning in our selection process, with families with children being the main cohort. We have more opportunity to vet potential refugees than most other countries. Canada has had a large number of people, community groups, and national organizations provide voluntary support to these new arrivals.

Immigration is an area of significant contention around the world and Canada is no exception. I personally find many flaws in our current immigration system, as well as in proposed changes to that system from pretty much all political parties. Movement of people around the globe and how we respond to a desire of people to move from country to country is a complex problem, which often gets discussed in overly simplistic terms. As a relatively desirable destination with a long history of significant immigration, but one which is remote and small (population-wise), Canada faces some unique challenges here. I'm far from being convinced we should be increasing opportunities for immigration to Canada.

Still, I won't go into my full views on immigration here, in no small part because I haven't had as much opportunity to read about the topic and think through the issues. However, when it comes to refugees, particularly those from Syria, I can't help but think we made a good move to accept those we have, as small a number as that is. The people I've met where under significant threat of harm or death, via war or neglect. Even the best-off saw standards of living well below what I'd consider acceptable, in ways that would prevent them from being able to work towards the improvement of the situation around them. They needed somewhere to go from where they were. We can't accept everyone - and clearly we didn't - but we have the room for these people and the resources to get them started on a decent, productive life in Canada. I enjoyed being very small part of that process.