In the wake of the deadly attacks in Paris and Beirut in November, the Canadian Council for Refugees issued a statement expressing outrage at the “mass murders” and dismay at “some public statements unfairly associating refugees with security risks.”
“We hope that Canadians will remember that Syrian refugees are victims of this violence and will redouble their commitment to welcome them in Canada,” said the non-profit coalition, which represents 171 member organizations including the Presbyterian Church in Canada.
The Nov. 17 statement noted that refugees are subjected to rigorous security checks by Canadian Border Services and the Canadian Security Intelligence Service—measures that do not apply to thousands of people who enter Canada each day for other reasons.
“It is unfair that refugees are singled out for suspicion. … It appears that most of those committing the attacks in Paris were French or Belgian citizens: European citizens can easily enter Canada without any security screening,” they noted.
“Syrian refugees have more to be fearful of than Canadians do. Opening our doors to refugees is one of the strongest ways possible to reject the violence and the incitement to hatred and division represented by the attacks.”
You can find the full statement at ccrweb.ca.
