Syrian refugees receive support from Oshawa council

By Joel Wittnebel/The Oshawa Express

A group looking to help bring and resettle 100 Syrian refugees in Oshawa has received an endorsement from city council.

The Oshawa Syrian Refugee Alliance, a coalition of community groups, has been collaborating over the past few months to help make the city a welcome environment for families fleeing war-torn Syria or being brought over from refugee camps in countries such as Lebanon, Jordan and Turkey.

“I think that we can all set the stage and set the tone,” said Derek Giberson, one of the alliance’s coordinators.

Giberson appeared before council at its previous meeting to ask for its endorsement. However, councillors were unwilling to accept it, voicing their scepticism about how the federal government’s not-yet released plan to bring 25,000 refugees to Canada would impact things at the local level.

Now, with the plan released and the decision that 10,000 of those refugees will be privately sponsored, Giberson says now is the time for the community to act and that community engagement “remains a very very big part of the picture and I think that is a good thing.”

Speaking at the meeting on Monday evening, Giberson said that creating a welcoming environment is key to a successful resettlement.

“When they have that, that’s a major step toward their future success,” he said.

While the endorsement of the alliance’s work passed unanimously through council, Councillor Amy England was the sole councillor offering any comment, stating council’s endorsement was an important step for the group.

“We signal to those organizations that they have the political support behind them,” she said. “This symbolic gesture of support from council will help you move forward.”

The motion council voted on was an endorsement in principle, meaning the city is not bound to any monetary or practical support as a result.