Fact-checking the refugee crisis: Chris Alexander calls Canada 'model of humanitarian action'

[Joe Shlabotnik]

...snip

In 2013, Canada accepted 1,063 Syrian refugees. The Conservatives insisted that refugees be prioritized based on religious or ethnic grounds, a policy that many have called discriminatory. The government failed to meet their commitment to accept 1,300 refugees in 2014. In January 2015, Alexander promised that Canada would accept 3,300 Syrian refugees per year for three years. Between January 1 and June 10, 2014, only 58 private sponsorship applications had been approved.

The Conservatives have drastically changed how Canada accepts refugees. They have relied more on private sponsorships than government sponsorships, and the bureaucratic measures that have been added to the application process are slowing the speed with which claimants are accepted. Under the Conservatives, in 2014 Canada fell from fifth place to 16th in the list of top refugee-receiving countries.

The Harper Conservatives tried to eliminate access to healthcare for refugees, they placed billboards in countries warning people to not seek asylum in Canada, and border agents have been placed in airports around the world to stop refugees from boarding planes to Canada. Canada doesn't even accept refugees who arrive from our principle border: an agreement signed in 2004 allows Canada to turn all refugee claimants from the U.S. back to the U.S.

Since the Conservatives took office, 87,000 migrants have been jailed in Canada as they waited to be processed, including nearly 1,000 children. Canada is the only Western country that jails migrants in the same facilities as people serving criminal sentences.

From http://rabble.ca/blogs/bloggers/fact-check/2015/09/fact-checking-conservatives-refugee-policies

[alcina]

1. I'm starting to think they're incapable of NOT lying

Last edited Fri Sep 4, 2015, 08:20 AM - Edit history (1)

Yesterday on Power & Politics he tried to blame the media for not highlighting the refugee crisis, claiming he's never before been asked about this. Rosemary Barton was absolutely stellar in introducing him to the truth:

http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/chris-alexander-immigration-syria-refugee-crisis-conservatives-1.3213514

I'm really glad to see how much coverage this is getting. But I still have to add one of these:


*Oops. Sorry about the weird link -- still getting used to Windows -- but it seems everyone saw the original anyway.

[laundry_queen]

2. I do love Rosemary

and I loved how she shut him down right quick.

As for Harper and Chris Alexander:

[Joe Shlabotnik]

3. I don't recognize this Canada anymore.

True story: When I was about 5 years old, I clearly remember watching the first ever item on the nightly news that captured my interest, and probably contributed to my own unique political junkie-ness. Some kids might remember the moon landing, so they became sci-fi geeks, others might remember a Kennedy assassination, or a Nixon resignation that had an impact on them. Oddly enough the first thing I remember watching was the fall of Saigon unfolding.

Then, (in hindsight this is all kind of weird considering that my parents are far more conservative than me), my parents who at the time were quite involved with their Church, within months started sponsoring Vietnamese boat people to come to Canada. We got involved with one family in particular, and I was, and still am so amazed by what what wonderful, grateful, kind and beautiful people they were. I remember how for years, once they got a little established, they'd come by with Vietnamese food at Christmas, or vegetables from their garden, and just what wonderful people they were. Their family really thrived here too, and always gave back to the community.

So when I think of multiculturalism, I often think about welcoming those that are in crisis. My own mothers family came to Canada as a Russian and Ukrainian couple with 2 little girls escaping first Nazi Germany, and then a completely destroyed Europe. The story of the Syrian family drowning is truly horrific, but its only one of many cases that our government, and also our citizens willfully look away from, or outright say 'not in my neighbourhood', or 'not on my dime'.

...ok, that's my little rant.

[polly7]

5. Good rant, Joe. I don't recognize us anymore either. nt.

[arikara]

6. Harper makes me sick

talking about he and Lawreen looking at the pictures and thinking of Ben frolicking on the beach. Then segueing in to more warring with Isis, and the media dutifully reporting that he had a catch in his voice.... like a well rehearsed sociopath. Well they didn't say that part. If that asshole gets back in the mr swears he will never vote again. Sorry, I feel somewhat incoherent when I think of herr Harper.

[laundry_queen]

7. Harper = well rehearsed sociopath. Spot on. nt