There are a variety of push and pull factors for why refugees are leaving their countries, and immigrating into Canada.
Refugees immigrating into Canada originate from about 42 different countries from all parts of the world. They flee their counties for a variety of reasons; however, armed civil conflict, war, and corrupt government are the the top reasons. Others include environmental and economic issues, and of course, poverty. This being said, starting a completely new life in a new country is often the only option left for these people. Most refugees have to give up everything that they have in order to immigrate to Canada, sometimes even their family. They come to Canada with not much more than the clothes on their backs. They deem the sacrifice, uncertainty, and hardship of leaving everything behind necessary for their survival and in turn, have a chance at a better life. What they leave behind are places filled with oppression, dictatorship, violence, abject poverty, and unspeakable inhumanity. Why are refugees specifically immigrating to Canada though? To start, Canada has a long established reputation as a free, open, tolerant, diverse society where the rule of law is entrenched in our constitution. We are known as a humanitarian people that warmly welcomes immigrants and refugees. Because we are diverse (Canada is a nation of immigrants and refugees) new arrivals often find support systems within the huge variety of cultural communities within Canada. It is what makes integration easier. Canada has implemented several resettlement programs that allow refugees to safely immigrate into Canada, and start new lives. Also making integration easier, is Canada’s relatively strong and diverse economy.
Canada’s high quality education system is also a strong incentive as is our health care system, one of the very best in the world, for these reasons, Canada seems like the best solution for many refugees. One of the ways that Canada ensures that refugees are able to immigrate safely is through working with the UNHCR. The UNHCR is also known as the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. The UNHCR, along with public sponsors, and a newly created program called the Blended Visa Office-Referred Program, strives to locate and find refugees that can then be safely immigrated and in turn, properly integrated into Canada from finding a place to live, and acquiring an occupation.
Last years 2015 records show us what countries have the most refugees immigrating into Canada. Out of all of the countries being reviewed for refugee immigration, Syria has been accepted the most, earning a 94% acceptance rate. Excluding Syria, the other countries with the highest acceptance rate included Libya, Egypt, Eritrea, and Iraq. Most refugees trying to immigrate to Canada are filing for asylum claims. A refugee is eligible for an asylum claim if they have proven to be extremely fearful of being tyrannized for their race, religion or beliefs, and have no means of escape from this kind of oppression.
The genesis of the recent flood of refugees from Syria into Europe and Canada is the civil war in Syria. This internal conflict has been simmering for years and has intensified in more recent times. The conflict has pit the brutal regime of Bashir al-Assad against the equally brutal forces of The Islamic State, otherwise known as ISIS, the Islamic fundamentalist terrorist organization that is an outgrowth of the American invasion of Iraq. According to the UNHCR, since 2011, over 3 million have fled to Syria’s immediate neighbors Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan and Iraq, with at least 1 million making their way to Western Europe from there. A staggering 6.5 million are internally displaced within Syria, meaning that the pressure will continue for countries like Canada to accept larger numbers of people from that war-torn region.
Syrian Refugees in Canada 