SYR Refugees to Canada (split fm SYR refugees thread)

[Edward Campbell]

I'm not referencing this video which I got third hand, via social media, to express my anger at the acts of desecrating the graves of our war dead. I cannot vouch for its provenance, nor did the group which posted it. At a guess it is from the Middle East, perhaps Iraq, likely a few years ago, maybe it was a "protest" against British military actions in Iraq. I'm pretty sure this is a Commonwealth War Graves cemetery ~ see about 3' 05".

What this video illustrates, to me, is the level of rage, frustration, hatred, based on generations of humiliation, that exists in the region, the Middle East, towards us. And now we propose to bring tens of thousands of them here, to be equally humiliated and frustrated ... is that right? Rick Hillier says the CF can help to bring 50,000 here; with all due respect to the retired CDS: that's crazy!

 

[Kirkhill]

ick Hillier says the CF can help to bring 50,000 here; with all due respect to the retired CDS: that's crazy!

Under the "Golden Oldie" file - Operation Haven in Kurdish Iraq - 1991.

I prefer this solution.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1UJWAIjpWfs

 

[OldSolduer]

I'm no expert in refugee crisis management, BUT if Canada is to accept x number of refugees, I agree with the PM. They must be properly screened.

 

[Jarnhamar]

Take on 10'000 refugees without screening them? Absolutely retarded.

Rome (CNN)Muslims who were among migrants trying to get from Libya to Italy in a boat this week threw 12 fellow passengers overboard -- killing them -- because the 12 were Christians, Italian police said Thursday.

Ya that's really what we need in Canada.

 

[The Bread Guy]

Interesting - former Ministers and DM's say the PM could do more, even during an election - highlights mine:

.... As former federal ministers and deputy ministers, appreciative of what it takes to translate political announcements into realities, we urge Mr. Harper to think big and not let the exigencies of the election campaign diminish the call to action. There is nothing in the caretaker convention, followed during election campaigns, to stop government from responding to a crisis – particularly when there is all-party support.

Mr. Harper can turn to his professional public servants with their past successful history of managing Bosnian, Ugandan, Kosovo, and Indochinese mass movement of refugees. He can ask them to determine Canada`s maximum capacity for absorption of individuals now streaming into Lebanon, Turkey, Jordan and Europe. Under the Public Policy provisions of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, the government can launch a significant new humanitarian Syrian refugee resettlement program. Its goal should be to increase the overall Canadian commitment to numbers of refugees and significantly simplify administrative burdens for both private sponsors and immigration officials.

Mr. Harper can ask officials in the Departments of Finance, Treasury Board, Citizenship and Immigration, Defence and Foreign Affairs to ascertain the financial and human resources required and set those aside. The public record of the contributions of the previous waves of past refugee settlement programs demonstrate the long-term returns to Canada from what may, in the short term, look like significant costs. The government can engage with provincial governments, who are also committing resources, to maximize the effectiveness of all efforts. It is short term investments which will be critical to the success of the program: there will be ample payback for an adequate number of visa and security officers in the field for refugee selection, for professionals to expedite medical clearances and security assessments, and for transportation costs and staging areas in Canada when the refugees arrive. Pending full program implementation, the government can ensure ”all hands on deck” in fast-tracking existing applications, particularly those with family connections in Canada ....

 

[Edward Campbell]

Interesting - former Ministers and DM's say the PM could do more, even during an election - highlights mine:

While I agree with the authors of the open letter that "security cannot be an excuse for inertia," it, security, can and must be a very high priority in deciding who ~ refugee, migrant, tourist or student ~ is allowed to enter Canada for any reason. A government that puts the welfare of these unfortunate people ahead of the security of Canada would be derelict in its duties to both.

 

[The Bread Guy]

While I agree with the authors of the open letter that "security cannot be an excuse for inertia," it, security, can and must be a very high priority in deciding who ~ refugee, migrant, tourist or student ~ is allowed to enter Canada for any reason. A government that puts the welfare of these unfortunate people ahead of the security of Canada would be derelict in its duties to both.

Just curious - what's your read re:  how much prep the bureaucrats can really get done during an election.  Those signing the op-ed piece suggest a lot, and I'm guessing someone's doing some work on briefings for transition in the event there is one, but things like "launch(ing) a significant new humanitarian Syrian refugee resettlement program" seem quite a leap when you don't have a Parliament, even compared to this announced during the campaign.

 

[Edward Campbell]

Just curious - what's your read re:  how much prep the bureaucrats can really get done during an election.  Those signing the op-ed piece suggest a lot, and I'm guessing someone's doing some work on briefings for transition in the event there is one, but things like "launch(ing) a significant new humanitarian Syrian refugee resettlement program" seem quite a leap when you don't have a Parliament, even compared to this announced during the campaign.

I'm pretty sure the authors of the letter are correct: there is a lot of work that bureaucrats can do, election or not, to prepare for any reasonable contingency, work that will not have any political impact, even if it is made public. The more important question, for me, is: for just what contingencies should those bureaucrats prepare?

Remember, also, please, that the sitting government, in the middle of an election campaign, has announced a spending programme aimed, specifically, at this "event." Messers Mulcair and Trudeau could argue that the government is using its office to advance its own re-election chances ... but I don't think they will. The government has taken reasonable, caretaker steps in the face of a perceived "crisis," the (unwritten) Constitution doesn't seem to have been offended.

 

[The Bread Guy]

The more important question, for me, is: for just what contingencies should those bureaucrats prepare?

:nod:  Especially given the range of options being offered by the contenders should they get the reins.

 

[Brad Sallows]

>Under the Public Policy provisions of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, the government can launch a significant new humanitarian Syrian refugee resettlement program

Why only Syrians?  Why not apportion the number of places the estimate determines can be made available among refugees worldwide and ensure Canada is not trying to digest lumps of monoculture?

 

[Kirkhill]

Inertia no.  Action yes.  Defuse the situation at a distance from Canadian borders then manage the flow of immigrants.

 

[Jed]

Inertia no.  Action yes.  Defuse the situation at a distance from Canadian borders then manage the flow of immigrants.

Now that is a big picture comment I can agree with. Now we can get to work on the phasing details.

 

[The Bread Guy]

Note to people working in DND - yes, they CAN tell when you update a Wikipedia page - original in French/excerpt from Google Translated version below:

.... The IP address 131 137 245 208 has indeed recently made changes on a Wikipedia page on refugees in the Syrian civil war. In one part showing the number of refugees in different countries, the vandal has written that "there are more than 300 families with very large dildos" in Argentina.

Thirty minutes later, another user has deleted these changes.

The Department of National Defence told 45eNord.ca he was taking "very seriously these allegations" and that the amendment "does not represent the views of the Department of National Defence and the Canadian Forces."

The chain of command has been informed of these facts and an investigation was ordered under DAOD 6002-2 on "legitimate Use of Internet, intranet of the defense, computers and other information system" ....

Stay classy ....  :facepalm:

 

[The Bread Guy]

Well big Rick has an answer:

Rick Hillier says military can help bring in 50,000 refugees by Christmas

http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/canada-election-2015-rick-hillier-refugees-military-christmas-1.3225732

The Canadian Forces could play a key role in helping to bring at least 50,000 Syrian refugees — far more than the government is planning — to Canada by Christmas, retired general Rick Hillier says ....

Uh, maybe not?

During the election, Liberal leader Justin Trudeau promised that his government would bring 25,000 Syrian refugees to Canada by the end of 2015.

But it’s a tall order, say refugee advocates. Though they applaud the idea of vastly increasing Canada’s intake of Syrian refugees, they wonder if the timeline is a bit too tight.

“People are suggesting if necessary take a bit longer and do it better, rather than just bringing people here and not having things ready for them,” said Janet Dench, executive director of the Canadian Council for Refugees ....

More ....

.... Canada currently takes about 7,500 government assisted refugees each year, who are typically met by non-governmental organizations whose staff help with orientation and and place them in temporary housing, either in reception centres or even cheap hotels.

If that number is to be boosted to 25,000 over the next two months, these organizations will know what needs to be done, but their capacity to do it will be strained to breaking, said Janet Dench, executive director of the Canadian Council for Refugees.

“It’s already a challenge to find housing suitable for them, so that’s why groups are saying ‘Yes, let’s do it, but give us enough time to get the things in place for people to arrive,’” she said.

She said Canada’s response on government assistance for Syrians fleeing their homeland has so far been “poor” and “diametrically opposed” to Germany’s, though Germany does not offer a private sponsorship program like Canada’s.

A massive shift in that attitude would certainly require political will from a new Trudeau government, but also probably some serious military assistance, especially with emergency housing in winter months, such as on air bases ....

Still, retiree hope springs eternal ....

Two retired leaders of the Royal Canadian Air Force say it is “technically” possible for Prime Minister-designate Justin Trudeau to reach his goal of resettling 25,000 Syrian refugees by the end of the year.

However, they say a successful mission would require fast action and a full-fledged military response.

“I haven’t seen a plan, I’ve just seen an intent. But it’s technically feasible, if enough resources and enough commitment is made and enough co-operation is found,” Lt.-Gen. Ken Pennie, former head of the Royal Canadian Air Force, told CTV’s Power Play on Thursday.

That sentiment was echoed by retired Brig.-Gen. Gaston Cloutier, the former wing commander at 8 Wing Trenton, who said the plan is “possible” from “a purely technical perspective.”

“From my perspective, the only organization that can deal with such an influx of people is the Canadian Forces, so the entire Canadian Forces … would have to be involved,” he said ...."

Meanwhile, serving CAF folks are getting 'er done ....

The Canadian Armed Forces is scrambling to determine how many Syrian refugees could be temporarily accommodated at military bases as they draft plans to help the incoming Liberal government fulfill a campaign promise to bring 25,000 asylum seekers here by Jan. 1.

Ottawa is considering private airplanes to bring the refugees to Canada. Military aircraft are available, and the CC-150 Airbus Polaris could bring as many as 190 per flight, but Forces officials say it is hard to beat the cheaper, high-density seating of a chartered wide-body aircraft.

The Trudeau Liberals, meanwhile, are hoping to tap the wave of popular support that washed them into office to enlist more Canadians to sponsor Syrian refugees privately. This would help defray the cost to Ottawa of settling 25,000 newcomers.

Sources say the Liberals will call on mayors and other politicians in coming days to facilitate the arrival of refugees on their home turf after some prominent politicians pledged to sponsor Syrian refugees in early September.

Refugees will need to be screened, transported to Canada and housed somewhere until they can be processed and transferred to the care of provincial authorities and sponsor groups ....

 

[Kirkhill]

Here's a thought:

Declare one of Canada's Arctic Islands as an Extra-Territorial possession.  Establish a refugee facility there.  Invite all-comers.  Consider it a Canadian version of Christmas Island with the added benefit that it is close to the North Pole and Santa.

In a generation or two they can request to join the federation as a territory like Nunavut.

 

[c_canuk]

Sounds like a reasonable solution if enough funds were spent to make it hospitable while they are guided on integration into our society, however, the wailing and gnashing of the teeth from SJW would make it political suicide, even if it was just a year to screen, educate and integrate.

It's still a good idea, just have to set it up somewhere more hospitable, though the SJW will refer to it as a camp no doubt... I suppose it's more likely to be seen as a good idea if the LPC is at the helm rather than CPC.

 

[YZT580]

An integration centre is a great idea that will not pass due to earlier history.  Grosse Island served as just such a facility in the 19th century and its memories will not allow the concept to be tried again.  Besides, these folks won't even accept water if it isn't in the correctly labelled container so they certainly won't tolerate being settled anywhere but near or in civilization  Expect riots if such an attempt is made.

 

[George Wallace]

An integration centre is a great idea that will not pass due to earlier history.  Grosse Island served as just such a facility in the 19th century and its memories will not allow the concept to be tried again.  Besides, these folks won't even accept water if it isn't in the correctly labelled container so they certainly won't tolerate being settled anywhere but near or in civilization  Expect riots if such an attempt is made.

So, you are telling us that they are being civilized in their demands?  Excuse me for being less than accepting in anything other than offering humanitarian aid as we would deem the norm.  If they are such that they do not want to assimilate or integrate into our society, then please do not come here demanding the world of us.

It is bloody ridiculous to demand that we create a "Halab" policy for ungrateful peoples.

 

[George Wallace]

Here's a thought:

Declare one of Canada's Arctic Islands as an Extra-Territorial possession.  Establish a refugee facility there.  Invite all-comers.  Consider it a Canadian version of Christmas Island with the added benefit that it is close to the North Pole and Santa.

In a generation or two they can request to join the federation as a territory like Nunavut.

Are there not existing Barracks in Goose Bay that are sitting empty?  Would it be feasible to build infrastructure in Churchill to house, process and provide medical needs to the large numbers promised, which would further develop the North and provide infrastucture that Churchill and surrounding settlements could use well after the migrant issue is over?  Unlike Southern locations, the demand for Security forces would be minimal.

 

[GAP]

Nah, Churchill has little in the way of excess housing. Use Kapyong.