A call for Canadian solidarity when the world needs it most

It is always a pleasure to return to #Canada – global leaders in #refugee protection and fierce champions for #gender equality and #diversity .??This week I kicked off a North American visit with a first stop in Ottawa to check in with the UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency team and government partners - Global Affairs Canada | Affaires mondiales Canada and Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada / Immigration, Réfugiés et Citoyenneté Canada - civil society organizations, and refugees & asylum seekers. It was a great reminder of how much Canada offers those forced to flee because of persecution, war, violence & increasingly climate in troubled places around the globe.??They have long been a role model for other nations, showing all that it is not only possible, but enriches Canada and Canadian communities to receive those whose lives are in danger.?

I was struck by the difference in discourse around asylum during this visit compared to the last I took in March of 2022.???Canada continues to receive record-high numbers of arrivals at their border with the US, which has resulted in increased national attention and debate. Like many others, I must confess that my attention has been so focused on other regional issues that it took a trip to Canada to realize how many links there are to what we are seeing further south.??

I’ve been reflecting on the visit ever since.?

The Americas region is home to one fifth of the world’s forcibly displaced or 20 million people, many of them families. From Argentina to Canada, an increasing number of people are on the move. This has resulted in an increase in the number of people seeking safety in Canada, placing strain on the asylum system, frontline service providers, and asylum-seekers themselves. The work done by all levels of government, civil society organizations, and communities on the frontlines, especially in Quebec, to ensure that asylum-seekers are received humanely is remarkable.

Asking for asylum is a fundamental human right even if a person crosses a border unofficially. It is clear from my discussions in Canada, that all stakeholders are intent on preserving this right and ensuring that the country continues to uphold its international legal obligations.

UNHCR is equally invested in safeguarding Canada’s renowned approach to asylum and maintaining its role as an example for others to follow. We are sharing expertise and insights from our work in 137 countries and territories around the world, to find solutions which can be adapted to Canada’s unique context. Refugees make important contributions to the societies that welcome them. Nowhere is this more obvious than in Canada, where from coast-to-coast, they make up the very fabric of the communities that have welcomed them. We have every confidence that Canada can – and will – continue to be a beacon to others and show the world that even in these unprecedented times, it is still possible to welcome humanely those in need of protection.

Canada’s leadership is needed now more than ever. We all count on it.?

Christopher MacLennan Scott Harris Allan Reesor-McDowell Matthew House Ottawa Ketty Nivyabandi Abdulla Daoud Le Centre de Réfugiés - The Refugee Centre Alexis Jobin-Théberge CIUSSS de l'Ouest-de-l'?le-de-Montréal Aviva Basman