Canada to take Iraqi Palestinians no Muslim country will take
Posted by acorcoran on June 26, 2009
We have reported on several occasions that Iraqi Palestinians, not wanted in Iraq because they were originally there as guests of Saddam Hussein, were refused entry into Syria and have been living in camps at the Iraq-Syria border. A few have gone to Iceland and Chile for resettlement. Now comes word that several hundred are going to Canada.
Some of the 336 Palestinian refugees stranded in an isolated refugee camp on the Iraq-Syria border will soon have new homes in Canada.
Through its private sponsorship program the Canadian government is making it possible for churches and other private sponsors to sponsor some of the residents living in the Al Hol refugee camp, one of three make-shift refugee camps along the border between Syria and Iraq, said Gloria Nafziger of Amnesty International-Canada.
Nafziger represented the Canadian Council for Refugees on a visit to the three camps in November 2008 and highlighted the need for immediate action during a speaking tour hosted by Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) refugee programs in Manitoba, Saskatchewan and British Colombia.
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About 3,000 Palestinian refugees are trapped in the border camps, said Nafziger during her Manitoba visit. They fled killings, kidnappings, torture and death threats in Iraq, but unlike other Iraqi refugees they do not have Iraqi citizenship and are not allowed to enter Syria to seek asylum.
These are the same Palestinian refugees I told you about here. They called their Arab brothers hypocrites for not accepting them in Muslim countries.
Canada has private refugee resettlement—something I have been advocating in the US. Presumably those sponsoring refugees are completely responsible for them until they are established in the country.
Canada is the only country in the world that has a private sponsorship program to assist the government in resettlement of refugees and displaced people, said Wiebe.
Each year, the Canadian government resettles approximately 7,500 refugees through government programs and an additional 3,500 through private sponsorships. Mennonite churches in Canada, through MCC, have helped more than 50,000 refugees resettle in Canada under this private sponsorship program.
10 Responses to “Canada to take Iraqi Palestinians no Muslim country will take”
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john junior said
Here in Delhi.., lots of christian refugees who indeedly need your help n sapport.. We do always prayed and asked for God (jesus christ) in order to get out and stay free from the refugee’s life..
When will We recieved and seen the the D-Day of answers from almighty God.. Bro/ sister, Y ou can be the ”Answer” from God..!
Comment worth noting: we can’t find enough private sponsors « Refugee Resettlement Watch said
[...] by acorcoran on July 8, 2009 Here is a comment we just received from Scott to a post about Canada in which I lauded Canada’s program of private sponsorship of refugee [...]
Scott L said
Canada isn’t the only country that tries to secure private sponsors for incoming refugees. I work at a resettlement office in the US, and we actually have a staff member who is responsible for getting local churches to sponsor specific families. Granted, we only get sponsors for a small percentage of our cases. Then again, we get 5 or 6 families a month, so any expectation that we could locate enough private sponsors for everyone would be wildly unrealistic.
Iraqi Palestinians set to arrive in the US: when and how many? « Refugee Resettlement Watch said
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kristen said
Sorry for the late response. Until Friday, I was working for an affiliate of ECDC, and we had started to receive assurance forms for a few of these Palestinian cases. According to ECDC, the US will be taking 5,000 of these cases on an “emergency” basis before this fiscal year ends. I am not working there, but that was the last that I had heard.
From_Timisoara said
Kristen, as far as I know, the US will also be taking about 1200 (not 5000) of these Palestinians, and most will arrive in the next US government fiscal year (e.g. in the Fall). They’re coming from the Al Waleed refugee camp, near the Iraq-Syrian border. There are discussions about accepting Palestinians from the Al Tanaf and Al Hol refugee camps, but both camps have problems with access, and they’re fewer than 500 individuals each.
kristen said
the US will also be taking 5000 of these Palestinians this Fiscal Year, i think they are scheduled to start coming in July.
acorcoran said
Kristen, are you speculating that we are taking 5000, or do you know something we don’t know yet!
sibly said
Good for Canada! The U.S. and Canada should be proud that they are countries that take their obligations as Geneva Convention signatories seriously!
Canada » Here We Go Again Lyrics (Farah Fawcett Funeral) - Vox said
[...] Canada to take Iraqi Palestinians no Muslim country will take …Each year, the Canadian government resettles approximately 7500 refugees through government programs and an additional 3500 through private sponsorships. Mennonite churches in Canada, through MCC, have helped more than 50000 refugees … [...]