Myths and realities of a crisis

To say that things are bad in Syria is just as obvious a statement as saying rain is wet, or that the Toronto Maple Leafs aren’t returning to the Stanley Cup playoffs any time soon. And, of course, the inevitable result of any major civil war or similar conflict is that many people are going to be displaced. The Syrian civil war, paired with the growing reach of ISIS in the region, has resulted in nearly 4.3 million people fleeing the country, hoping for safety beyond the borders of Syria.

Canada has been a safe haven and welcoming nation to war-displaced refugees for decades. In 1999, Canada opened its doors to 5,000 refugees from the Kosovo War. Between 1972 and 1973, more than 7,000 refugees arrived from Uganda. And between 1979 and 1981, Canada welcomed more than 50,000 refugees from South East Asia following the end of the Vietnam War.

Today, in 2015, Canada is preparing to welcome 25,000 refugees from Syria into the country. While it is definitely an ambitious goal – the aim is to have all of these people in the country before the end of February 2016 – it stays in line with what this country has long stood for, as a place where those of all walks of life can work to better themselves and their families.

And there are groups close to home, such as the work being done by the Oshawa Syrian Refugee Alliance and its partners (see the story that starts on the front page), that should be applauded.

Now, as is the case with any other time in history when there was an influx of refugees, there are people that are upset. The two main reasons I’ve seen that have been cited against welcoming Syrian refugees are the financial implications and security concerns.

First off, I’d like to address the economic factor. One arguement I’ve seen posted a lot online is that the money should be spent on citizens that are already here, that this money should be spent instead on our homeless, our veterans, our seniors, etc. The question I have is why does it have to be a choice between the two? Rather than asking why the money spent on refugees isn’t being spent on Canadians facing troubles, perhaps the question should be why the latter is underfunded in the first place?

Oh, and before I move on – you may have seen a widely circulating post on Facebook that claims refugees will receive more money from the government than the country’s pensioners. Please note that this post is false and has been proven to be simply not true many times. It’s at the point where the website for Citizenship and Immigration Canada addresses the myth this post perpetuates on its webpage.

Now, on to the security front. Some have argued that by allowing Syrian refugees into the country, we are opening the door to those from radicalized groups such as ISIS to flow into Canada. Following the brutal and horrific attacks we saw in Paris two weeks ago, it’s understandable that we are on edge. But we can’t let fear dictate our future.

Also remember that one of the main reasons that people are fleeing Syria is to get away from ISIS. If anyone stands to benefit from this horrible group being taken out, it’s the refugees.

ISIS, as well as other groups like it in recent years, has played up the narrative that it’s the West versus Islam, and wouldn’t countries turning away Syrian refugees seeking a better life just play into that deluded vision?