DELANEY WRIGHT

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s pledge to take in 25,000 Syrian refugees by the end of 2015 has been heavily critiqued and debated. While many Canadians seem to think that refugees pose a threat, history suggests otherwise.

The history of Canada being a safe haven for oppressed groups extends as far as 1776 when black loyalists fled the United States during the American Revolution. Over 3,000 settled in Eastern Canada, followed by 35,000 more British loyalists in 1783.

Moving into the 19th century, refugees came to Canada from all parts of Europe. This included Polish refugees escaping Russian oppression in 1830, Italians seeking safety from being driven off their lands due to state reforms from 1880-1914 and in 1891, Ukrainians came to Canada seeking refuge from Austro-Hungarian rule.

Many of these cultures, among others, are now considered part of the diverse and rich ethnic background that makes up the current population of Canada.

Statistics as per thesheaf.com online survey.

Since the 20th century, however, Canada’s history of taking in refugees has been a little less consistent. Before and after the Second World War, many Jewish people hoped to find the same refuge that had previously been provided to so many others.

After the infamous November 1938 Kristallnacht — a pogrom against Jews in Nazi controlled regions of Europe — the Canadian Jewish Congress offered to cover all costs and financially aid 10,000 Jewish refugees. However, the government still denied them — more than likely due to a climate of anti-Semitism at the time.

When the St. Louis transatlantic liner arrived at the shores of Canada in 1939 with 907 Jewish refugees aboard, they were forsaken, turned away and forced to return to Germany, where an estimated 254 died in concentration camps and an unknown number perished as a result of Nazi brutality.

The passengers on board had already tried other countries and turned to Canada as a last hope. Canadian authorities used national security as a mask for blatant anti-Semitism. A popular account from the era recalls a Canadian immigration official responding to the question of how many Jewish refugees Canada would take by saying “none is too many.”

Through the 1930s and 1940s, Canada only accepted around 5,000 Jewish immigrants, compared to 200,000 in the United States.

However, following the Holocaust, Canada slowly rose back to the challenge of being a host country for refugees. In 1956, 37,000 Hungarian refugees settled here. Chinese, Czechs and Chileans sought safety here in the 1960s and 1970s, as did many others.

Regardless of our history with refugees, many people will continue to find reasons for why we should not allow Syrians into our country. The refugees will be going through a rigorous screening process before they are admitted into Canada and the selection process will also prioritize families over individuals.

Our government is not going ahead with this without considering our own safety, which many people seem to believe. In 2000, the United Nations rated Canada as the fifth highest refugee-accepting country, but we dropped to 15th place in 2014. It is our job to re-establish Canada’s international reputation as a safe haven to all.

At the end of the day, these people are people. Many of us were lucky enough to be born into this great country, and these people are no less deserving of the safety and shelter that Canada has to offer than any single one of us. Why should we hoard the benefits of living in a secure and beautiful country just because we had the random luck of being born here?

We should work to actively extend the benefits that we take for granted every day to those who are not as fortunate as we are. The coming months will require us to be compassionate and kind, as we cannot allow the fear ISIS is trying to spread to stop us from extending the true Canadian hospitality that I know our nation is capable of.

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Image: Jeremy Britz / Graphics Editor