Refugee policies and attitudes - Canada

According to Gallup Migrant Acceptance Index 2020, #Canada has become the country most accepting of immigrants. 50% of Canadians think immigration is making Canada a better place. Majority of Canadians felt they should accept more displaced people from places undergoing significant conflicts.⁣

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Most refugees become citizens after they complete the requirements of living in Canada for three years & passing a test of general knowledge on Canada. As a result, 95% of adults & children feel a sense of belonging & accomplishment in the country.⁣

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Canada has accepted over 1 million refugees since the 1980s based on evidence that benefitted the country's economy & population development. Through unique programs like Private Sponsorship of #Refugees, Canada presents a personal approach that can influence the acceptance of refugees & their successful integration into society. In 2021 Canada accepted 5313 Privately Sponsored Refugees & 3871 Government Sponsored ones. Sponsors have a personal responsibility towards the refugee they are helping thereby facilitating integration. However, sponsors can also pick refugees from a government-approved list, which is exclusionary & could lead to biased choices. Hence, the positive reception of refugees in Canadian society could be misleading.⁣

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Even though Canada's system seems well adapted, it does not always respond well to crises. For example, it has claimed to accept 40 000 refugees from #Afghanistan since the #Taliban coup in 2021. However, only 15 000 people had arrived & many had problems with the legalization of their stay because the government failed to adopt laws & allocate enough personnel to process the applications. This caused some people to wait for their decision for years. Many refugees have spoken about how such a lengthy processing period affects their mental health. Refugees from #Palestine and #Iran, among others, also complained about racist practices, where their waiting time is much longer than others who submitted their applications more recently.⁣

Photo © Bernard Weil/Toronto Star via Getty Images

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