By Ratna Omidvar, Global Diversity Exchange

In the week following news that drowned Syrian toddler Alan Kurdi had relatives in Canada and with elections only five weeks away, Syrian refugees became a Canadian election issue. In October, the newly elected Liberal government led by Justin Trudeau promised to bring in 25,000 Syrian refugees by the end of 2015 and up to 50,000 by the end of 2016, up from the previous government’s pledge of 10,000 over three years. Though these numbers are small compared to what countries in the Middle East and Europe are facing, they are large in resettlement terms. These are not asylum seekers; they will be permanent residents on their way to citizenship. Canada’s positive response, at a time when public support for immigration is receding elsewhere, has its roots in an earlier refugee influx.

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Source: Alliance magazine