Feds to tout refugees as ‘national project’
TRUDEAU GOVERNMENT’S ‘OPERATION SYRIAN REFUGEES’ CAMPAIGN TO HERALD ‘NATIONAL PROJECT’ THAT AIMS TO BRING IN 900 REFUGEES EVERY DAY UNTIL THE END OF 2015
The Liberal government, elected on a platform that pledged to ban partisan advertising, is set to launch a $500,000 digital ad campaign to boost public support for its plan to bring in 25,000 Syrian refugees by the end of the year, according to a strategic plan document obtained by the National Post.
The “Operation Syrian Refugees” plan says the campaign will “demonstrate Canada’s compassionate values and re-affirm our global leading role in refugee resettlement.”
‘‘This appears to be an early stage working document,’’ a senior Liberal source said Thursday.
The ads will convey the messages: Act Now, Make a Difference and Here’s How You Can Help. The government will spend a further $130,000 to monitor the effectiveness of the campaign on public opinion. A Liberal spokesman said no decision has been made on advertising, but any ads will fully comply with party campaign promises.
The strategic plan envisages 5,000 to 6,000 refugees being airlifted from Amman, Jordan, every week, between Dec. 1 and 31. The plan suggests 900 passengers a day will arrive on three flights to Montreal and Toronto.
An opinion poll released Wednesday suggests a majority of Canadians oppose the government plan, mainly on the grounds that the tight timeline could lead to short-cuts on security screening.
The communications plan contained in the strategic document aims to convince Canadians that the mass resettlement is a “national project.”
It highlights a number of obstacles that will need to be navigated to win over public opinion, warning that if government-sponsored refugees jump to the front of the queue ahead of privately sponsored applicants who have been waiting for a long time, it could produce a backlash.
The draft plan also expresses concerns that any refugees deemed inadmissible once they had arrived in Canada would attract “long-term negative attention.”
There are further worries about the United States being critical of a perceived threat to border security; about the possibility of negative publicity if families are separated; and the bad press that might accompany refugees being housed in military installations for long periods of time.
To counter any negative headlines, the communications plan seeks to show Canadians that bringing in refugees can be a “win-win” scenario. It advocates highlighting first-hand accounts from former refugees who have successfully integrated into Canadian society. “It will be important to re-affirm the need and urgency of helping Syrian refugees,” the plan says.
The document underlines the dramatic nature of the task the Liberals have set the bureaucracy. Canada usually takes in around 10,000 refugees a year, with average processing times of around 10 months for governmentsponsored applications from the Middle East.
The strategic assumption in the document is that “security will not be compromised throughout the operation.” Canada’s Border Services Agency will screen refugees for admission overseas, after they have been identified by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. The pre-flight security screening and risk assessment will continue right up to boarding, culminating in CBSA issuing a “board/no board” decision for each applicant.
However, given the large numbers involved, the plan says overseas processing will be “expedited.”
“Background security checks and medical screening, and processing of individuals, will meet the requirements as established by primary departments based on pre-determined established levels of risk,” it says.
Once the newcomers have arrived in Canada, Immigration Canada staff will complete the processing. During that time, refugees will be housed in temporary lodgings in Ontario and Quebec, within four or five hours of Toronto and Montreal, most likely on military bases.
The plan suggests refugees will stay at “interim lodging centres” for up to two months. “All required necessities and services will be provided to support individuals until permanent residency is granted,” the plan says.
After receiving temporary resident status, refugees will be legally authorized to remain in Canada. CSIS will conduct further security screening before granting permanent residency status and the Border Services Agency will take enforcement action against anyone deemed inadmissible.
But, having landed in Canada, refugees are granted the full protection of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Failed applicants can go to the Refugee Appeals Division at the Immigration and Refugee Board or apply to the Federal Court of Canada for a judicial review.
RCMP Commissioner Bob Paulson and CSIS director Michel Coulombe appeared alongside Ralph Goodale, the public safety minister, earlier this week and said the government plan is feasible. “I am confident the measures in place are robust and appropriate,” said Coulombe.
BRINGING IN REFUGEES CAN BE A ‘WIN-WIN’ SCENARIO