Canada bound
Kensington-sponsored Syrian refugee family receives travel date nearly two years later
Just two more weeks. That’s when all of Patricia Bennett, Carolyn Francis, and Kensington and Area Refugee Sponsorship Initiative members’ hard work will pay off and the Syrian refugee family, who has been waiting about 20 months to come to Canada, will arrive.
“I started bawling when I heard they were coming in a few weeks,” said Bennett, one of KARSI’s co-chairs.
“I called Carolyn crying and said, ‘It’s official. They’re coming.’”
Bennett continued: “Mohammed and his family were interviewed in Ankara, Turkey, on Dec. 6 and were later told their interview was successful.
“When the family went to their interview, the little girl brought a drawing of Anne of Green Gables that she drew with them to show the interviewer,” Bennett said with a laugh.
“The family had their medical tests conducted when they got back to Istanbul and were told to prepare for travel within a few months,” she explained. “From there, Mohammed started calling the embassy every Tuesday to see if there was progress on their file.”
Recently a handful of KARSI members went to the refugee family’s home in Kensington to make sure they had clothing, furniture, kitchen-ware and other items for when they arrive.
The group itself has about 40 members.
“Mohammed and family are over the moon to have a travel date and come to Canada. They were very frustrated and anxious before their interview. But it’s been a relief since learning their interview and medicals were successful. But now it’s down to the wire, and we’re trying to get everything situated for drivers’ licences, school documents and other records,” she said.
Francis, the group’s other co-chair, added, “We’re slightly worried we’re forgetting something. But the community has been incredibly supportive and have not stopped since we began this journey. It’s really amazing.”
April Ramsay, a member of the KARSI house committee, says it’s a long time coming.
“It seems so surreal. You’ve worked so hard for so long and almost get them here and then something else would happen. I cried too when I found out. There was so much buildup and all of a sudden they have a plane ticket.”
Francis expects challenges for the family and her group when they arrive, with both sides having to move forward from something they’ve worked toward for months.
“I think they’ll face their own challenges of adjusting and missing home and their family. But Mohammed has a friend in Charlottetown, which is nice. But I also think it will be hard for us to step back too. Once they get here, they’re out of our hands.”