The Star
Canadians have good reason to feel proud about providing a safe haven for thousands of desperate Syrian refugees. But an equally important job remains to be done: ensuring that these newcomers put down roots and successfully integrate into their adopted homeland.
Swift action is needed to meet that challenge, according to a compelling new Senate report. “Fine words and open arms . . . alone are not sufficient to address the very real and very urgent problems that lie ahead,” warned Sen. Jim Munson, head of the Senate committee on human rights.
Rather than waiting to issue its final report, due this fall, the committee released a series of interim recommendations this week urging immediate steps to bolster refugees’ language skills, finances and mental health. It quite properly described such measures as a long-term investment in the country.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s government should heed the committee’s advice. It would be nothing short of tragic if Canada welcomed people from a war-torn land only to fail them once they had crossed our border.
The Senate committee has been examining the Syrian refugee situation since the spring and has heard heart-rending accounts of suffering and endurance from newcomers and their advocates. Given the horrors of what so many of them have experienced, the panel identified a serious need for assistance in dealing with post-traumatic stress disorder.
Language and literacy training are also essential for these new Canadians to find work and build a future. That’s especially the case since a significant number are from rural areas and never received a proper education, even in their native language.
Many refugee families face economic hardship, having to rely on food banks to make ends meet. Some carry the additional burden of travel loans amounting to hundreds or even thousands of dollars. Finally, the committee noted that services and processing times for applications differ for newcomers arriving at various times, or thorough different programs.
With more than 28,400 Syrian refugees landing in Canada just since Nov. 4, it’s important to address these problems before they fester and taint what has otherwise been a remarkable successful humanitarian operation. To that end, the Senate committee recommended:
Boosting federal funding for language-training programs so that such instruction would be made available to refugees immediately upon their arrival. The committee also raised the possibility of providing child care so that parents could attend classes.
Putting in place a comprehensive plan, produced with provincial help, to address the mental health needs of refugees.
Replacing immigration loans issued for transportation and other expenses with federal grants. In the alternative, Ottawa could introduce some sort of debt-forgiveness mechanism or, at least, interest-free loans.
Speeding up the issuing of child tax benefits to newcomers — a disbursement worth up to $533 a month for a child under six, and $450 monthly for those aged six to 17. This money can be of huge assistance, especially for large families, but it can take several months for payments to start arriving.
Providing special programs for refugee youth, a group that faces extra challenges attempting to integrate into Canadian society.
Equalizing the treatment of different categories of refugees, including government-assisted newcomers and those who were privately sponsored, as well as refugees who arrived at various times.
All these measures seem well worth doing and the Senate committee should be commended for bringing them forward without delay. Action is clearly needed now. But federal officials aren’t alone in having a responsibility to pay attention.
All Canadians should realize that the task of rescuing Syrian refugees is only half done if steps aren’t taken to ensure they prosper once they are here.