Despite concerns, Liberals forge ahead with migrant plans
OTTAWA— Facing new opposition at home and heightened fears in the wake of the Paris terrorist attacks, the Liberal government is forging ahead with its plan to resettle 25,000 Syrian refugees by the end of the year.
Ottawa will have help from Ontario and Quebec, where some 16,000 refugees are expected be resettled as part of the Liberals’ ambitious goal. But some political leaders are expressing concerns with the Liberals’ plans, and urging Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to reconsider the time frame for resettlement.
Saskatchewan Premier Brad Wall publicly released a letter to Trudeau Monday, urging him to “suspend” the refugee plan.
“I am concerned that the current date-driven plan could severely undermine the refugee-screening process,” Wall wrote in the letter, which the premier posted to Twitter. “I understand that the overwhelming majority of refugees are fleeing violence and bloodshed and pose no threat to anyone . . . However, if even a small number of individuals who wish to do harm to our country are able to enter Canada as a result of a rushed refugee resettlement process, the results could be devastating.”
Wall’s concerns run counter to assurances from Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale, who told reporters Canada’s national security agencies indicated they’re up to the task of screening the refugees.
Wall also finds himself offside with Quebec’s government, which announced the province is moving forward with a plan to resettle nearly 6,000 refugees by the end of the year. Quebec Immigration Minister Kathleen Weil acknowledged some “legitimate concerns” about security in the wake of the deadly attacks in Paris. But the refugees will be subjected to criminal record checks, health checks as well as additional screening from Canada’s national security agencies for any links to terrorist organizations. Weil urged Quebecers to understand the “profile” of those the government will be bringing into the province. “They are people who are fleeing violence. They are people who are fleeing the exact same acts of terrorism that we saw in Paris,” Weil said Monday.
“They are people who are very vulnerable, who are worried, who are searching for a haven of peace.”
It was a sentiment echoed by Eric Hoskins, Ontario’s health minister. Speaking to reporters at Queen’s Park, Hoskins said the attacks in Paris have not shaken Ontario’s resolve to settle10,000 refugees by the end of 2016. “Not at all and I don’t think it changes the public’s resolve either,” the minister said, noting three-quar- ters of refugees are women and children. “I believe that the security concerns are important ones . . . but at the same time I don’t want to underestimate the outpouring of support by Ontarians. I don’t believe that’s changed.”
Hoskins said it is too soon to say where in Ontario the refugees will be resettled, but said it is likely many will be in the Greater Toronto Area.
Friday’s terrorist attacks in the French capital spawned a new wave of fear around western countries’ acceptance of Syrian refugees fleeing both the so-called Islamic State and the murderous regime of Bashar Assad. The Islamic State claimed responsibility for the attacks, which killed 129 people in central Paris. With files from Bruce Campion-Smith and Star wire services