As the image of a dead toddler on the shores of a
Turkish beach reverberated this week, Conservative leader Stephen Harper
defendedCanada
when it comes to aiding displaced persons.
Turkish beach reverberated this week, Conservative leader Stephen Harper
defended
when it comes to aiding displaced persons.
“Canada
is the largest per capita receiver of new immigrants in the entire world,”
Harper said Wednesday.
is the largest per capita receiver of new immigrants in the entire world,”
Harper said Wednesday.
“And we have resettled already some 20,000 Iraqi
refugees and a couple of thousands of Syrian refugees and we plan to do more.”
refugees and a couple of thousands of Syrian refugees and we plan to do more.”
The second half of that claim is correct, but
misleading:Canada
has resettled about 20,000 Iraqi refugees in the past six years, and about
2,000 Syrian refugees since 2013 — and the majority of those have been
privately sponsored.
misleading:
has resettled about 20,000 Iraqi refugees in the past six years, and about
2,000 Syrian refugees since 2013 — and the majority of those have been
privately sponsored.
The first half is just wrong, however.
For one thing, Harper referred to immigrants, rather
than refugees.
than refugees.
But even if you count all immigrants, Canada
“the largest per capita receiver … in the entire world.”
“the largest per capita receiver … in the entire world.”
accepted roughly 250,000 immigrants in 2012, a significant number but less
overall, and less per capita than
READ MORE: Canada’s Unwanted
How does Canada
refugees?
refugees?
A Conservative spokesperson referred to UNHCR
statistics on resettled refugees that say Canada took in 12,300 resettled refugees — about one in
10 of all the refugees referred for resettlement in 2014.
statistics on resettled refugees that say Canada took in 12,300 resettled refugees — about one in
10 of all the refugees referred for resettlement in 2014.
It sounds good. But that’s a tiny proportion of the
world’s refugee population: less than 1 per cent, actually.
world’s refugee population: less than 1 per cent, actually.
“Resettled refugees” only refers to refugees transferred
from an asylum country to another country that has agreed to take them.
from an asylum country to another country that has agreed to take them.
Most refugees don’t get that lucky: They flee their
homes and end up anywhere that will take them. Many remain displaced within
their home country; others make it elsewhere, and countries have a legal
obligation to people seeking asylum within their borders.
homes and end up anywhere that will take them. Many remain displaced within
their home country; others make it elsewhere, and countries have a legal
obligation to people seeking asylum within their borders.
If you look at all refugees, Canada ranks 41st in the world, with 4.2 per 1,000
inhabitants. That’s far behind not onlyLebanon
andJordan , but Sweden and Malta
inhabitants. That’s far behind not only
and
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