CANADA: Most Supportive & Welcoming Country for Immigrants and Refugees

Kamil Maman, an investigative journalist,  escaped persecution and imprisonment from Erdogan - the tyrannical, autocratic president of Turkey.

Maman fled to Canada leaving behind his home, family and friends and career - and undeniably, his country. 

Stanka Niedra, Administrator for Children’s Health and Safety Association said, “I have met so many wonderful refugees from Syria who openly state how grateful they are to live in Canada - a free country.  They love Canada and are now on the front lines helping other refugees through the difficult, transitional stage.  Canada has given Syrian refugees an opportunity to live a happy, peaceful life, where they can provide an education for their children and hope for the future.” 

According to Pew Research Center in Washington, D.C., Canadians have the most supportive and welcoming opinion of immigrants over any other migrant destination in the world.  Canadian people regard immigrants “as a strength rather than a burden” to their country. 

Survey results, compiled by Jynnah Radford, research assistant focusing on global migration, and Phillip Connor, senior researcher focusing on demography and migration studies concluded that:

• 68% of Canadians believe that immigrants make Canada stronger,
• 80% of Canadians state that immigrants are not to be blamed for crime, and
• 65% of Canadians assert that immigrants do not increase the risk of terrorism.

When Trump restricted several Muslim countries from entering the US, Justin Trudeau, our Prime Minister of Canada, provided a safe haven for “those fleeing persecution, terror and war.”

“We’re there for people in challenging situations and we know that we have to continue to demonstrate that our immigration system is strong and applies while staying true to our values,” says Prime Minister Trudeau, as cited in the Globe and Mail Newspaper.

In a statement on immigration and refugees, John Tory, Mayor of Toronto wrote, “Toronto is the most diverse city in the world.  Our citizens come from every part of the globe, and arrived here looking for opportunity, equality and, often, safe harbour.  While there is still work to be done, I am proud of our city’s legacy of acceptance and inclusion, and the fact that our economy relies on the hard work and expertise of people of all backgrounds.  Our city’s motto is "diversity our strength”.  

As provincial spending increased due to the number of asylum seekers coming to Ontario from US, Ford cut legal aid for refugees and immigration cases.  The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree – and not only is the apple rotten but so is the tree.

Doug, you see the dollar value but you can’t see or feel the human value – on any level.  Your intention to balance the budget is profoundly skewed and your self-absorbed, familial motivation is so deeply flawed that you can’t see the people who are directly affected and hurt by your decisions.  Children, parents, abused women, our environment, sick people, victims of crime, teachers, students, unemployed people, scientists searching for cures for diseases, the educational and medical system – and refugees and immigrants fleeing war torn countries, have paid the price for your mistakes.

Instead, you prefer to make beer available at every corner store, allow bars to open at 9 AM, increase the speed limit on highways and legalize on-line gambling.  Do these decisions and solutions exemplify the extent of your capacity as Premier of Ontario?  Is that it?  Your priorities are wrong, your actions are ‘unCanadian’ and they definitely do not reflect our value system.  

How can you look into the eyes of an autistic child, determine that he or she is just fine - and then have the audacity to take away more.

The proof is in the pudding as I watch your polling numbers fall to an abysmal level.  Enough said.

United Nations Refugee Agency

In 2018, Canada provided asylum to 28,000 refugees, exceeding the cap of United States, Australia and United Kingdom, according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). 

The 2016 Census Report from Statistics Canada states that:

• Canada has approximately 37.5 million people of which 7.2 million are children.
• Toronto, with a population of over 2.8 million, is one of the largest metropolitan areas in the world with a density of 2,930 people per square kilometre.
• Canada has over 250 ethnic origins or ancestries.
• 4 in 10 people reported more than one origin.
• British Isles and French origins are still among the most common; however, their share in the population has decreased considerably since the 1871 Census
• Close to 20 million people reported European origins
• Chinese ancestry (1.8 million people), East Indian ancestry (approximately 1.4 million people) and Filipino ancestry (837,130 people) are among the 20 most common ancestries reported by the Canadian population.
• For the first time, data for five additional Asian origins was published: Hazara, Kyrgyz, Turkmen, Bhutanese and Karen. As well, five new African origins were published: Edo, Ewe, Malinke, Wolof and Djiboutian.  These new Asian and African origins were reported by foreign‑born individuals - a reflection of the most recent immigration waves.

Thank you!

A heartfelt “thank you” to Justin Trudeau, our Prime Minister of Canada and John Tory, our Mayor of Toronto for standing strong and giving voice to reason, justice and cause.

I am a proud Canadian.

Additional Resources

For additional information, Diligencia Investigative Reporting recommends the following articles:

Diligencia Investigative Reporting - Kamil Maman, Exiled Turkish Journalist: In Defence of the Fifth Estate

Diligencia Investigative Reporting - Mental Health Services Imperative in War Torn Countries

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