Pair meets refugees.
More than three years ago, Alaa Almahameed fled the shell-cratered streets of his ruined village in Syria with his wife and two young daughters in search for a better life.
On Sunday, the Almahameed family was among the refugees who met the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, along with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his wife Sophie Gregoire Trudeau, at Immigrant Services Society’s new Welcome Centre in Vancouver, and shared parts of their story of survival and their arrival in Canada.
“We came to Canada and we had the best reception here,” Almahameed said through translator Mohammed Alsaleh after the royal meeting.
Almahameed and his family arrived in Canada in August as part of Ottawa’s promise to resettle 25,000 Syrian refugees. They moved into a house two weeks ago.
“We are looking forward to the future,” he said.
The royals had pledged to meet Canadians from all walks of life on this trip, and on their first full day in B.C., the pair threw the might of their star power to various causes and organizations, including the ISS, which offers settlement and support services to more than 25,000 immigrants and refugees every year.
Immigration and refugee resettlement are controversial issues in many countries, but that didn’t stop William and Kate from touring the centre, which opened in June and boasts 138 beds, a youth drop-in centre, child-minding spaces, and classrooms for English language classes.
The Duke and Duchess also unveiled a plaque for a new children’s playground at the centre, marking its official opening.
Chris Friesen, resettlement services director for the organization, said the royal visit was an “incred- ible opportunity to showcase our new facility,” which appeared to make an impression on William and Kate.
“They thought there’s so much hope and it makes sense to bring together (all the different services) under one roof,” said Friesen.
Alsaleh, 27, himself a Syrian refugee who arrived in Canada in 2014, said the royal couple were sympathetic to the plight of the refugees during the meeting.
“They were compassionate and understanding and attentive,” he said. “At the same time, they were cautious not to bring any bad memories to the families.”
Alsaleh said he hopes that, following the royals’ departure, they would carry a message to the rest of the world “to help other people in need, people who are stuck in borders ... and encourage people to welcome refugees the same way we were welcomed here.”