Syrians Lending a Hand to Afghan Refugees in Canada

Ola Barqawi, A Palestinian-Syrian Writer And Journalist – Living In Canada

Translated by Sara Hlaibeih

Following the Taliban takeover of the Afghan capital of Kabul last August, the Canadian government initiated a special two-year long immigration program which aims to resettle 40,000 Afghan refugees in Canada. So far, nearly 4000 Afghan refugees have arrived.

Canada welcomes immigrants and refugees from all around the world, however, Afghan and Syrian refugees have a lot in common when it comes to their circumstances, as both have been through many of the same struggles in their attempts to overcome the obstacles preventing them from reaching safe shores. Add to that the greatly similar and unbearable living struggles faced in their home countries, where war has forced immeasurable suffering on most citizens still residing there, made worse by their need to escape the repressive regimes. All they seek is to reside in countries that would guarantee them equal rights, and make their dreams of a new life come true.

Taking these similarities into consideration, the Syrian Canadian Foundation (SCF), a non-profit organization that empowers newcomers and people of diverse backgrounds in Canada while promoting cross cultural exchanges within Canadian society, launched a campaign this December titled ‘Sa’al Mujareb’  aiming to help Afghan refugees. The campaign is an open invitation to everyone in Canada, however, it is mainly targeted towards Syrians, as they have encountered similar experiences upon their arrival and managed to integrate within the Canadian society not too long after.

The SCF uses the common Syrian proverb “ask someone who has lived the experience rather than an expert”, to show how beneficial Syrians could be to Afghan refugees in Canada. The proverb suggests that the best help a person can receive is from someone who has been through the same experience, someone who can provide advice about resettling in a new country, learning a new language, starting a new career, and trying to decipher new laws, systems and unfamiliar traditions.

In announcing the campaign, posted on its official website and on social media, the organization invites everyone who is eager to help Afghan refugees, whether by volunteering with organizations working with Afghan refugees or by sharing Canadian-life related experiences. Another way to provide assistance is by donating 10 dollars to the Afghan newcomer families that have just arrived in Canada.

Henna spoke to Mustafa Alio, R-SEAT Co-managing Director, who described SCF as “nurturing the ‘Sa’al Mujareb’ campaign, which was initiated by a group of a Syrian Canadian activists who all have personal success stories, in addition to being influencers with great communication skills. They each went through struggles similar to Afghan refugees, so they wish to help create the same conditions and support that they themselves received. These activists can completely understand most of the stages a newcomer in Canada could go through, especially after surviving a war, losing a home, a friend or family”.

The Syrian Canadian Foundation works on providing empowering services and programs for all newcomers. The organization’s initial focus was to  provide support for Syrians specifically, however, their services expanded to include immigrants and refugees from any nationality or race. Their aim is to help these individuals integrate within Canadian society and overcome any struggles they may encounter. However, the large groups of Afghan refugees that have started arriving, in addition to the large numbers announced to be following, made it necessary to begin preparations to help them settle. The large numbers expected, according to Alio, could cause confusion and chaos which might create the necessity for campaigns, organizations and society involvement, especially due to the insufficient governmental response and its inability to adequately embrace the refugees’ needs.

Alio added that “launching such campaigns carry a humanitarian message that highlights the importance of refugees standing together. It also fills whoever participates with an empowering feeling for being able to lend a hand and give others what once was a need. These campaigns further carry a political message emphasizing that refugees are not a burden on society, but can efficiently integrate within Canadian society and participate in solving crises. This may lead these individuals to obtain the power needed to demand their rights, and their unity could have a positive impact on society, and on political decisions along the way”.

Alio also shed a light on “the Canadian government shortcomings in its response to the Afghan refugee crisis. Starting with the slow resettlement procedures, and ending with its lack of consideration of the minorities and those in critical conditions”. He further explains that “the chaos caused by the Taliban takeover in Afghanistan has limited the Canadian government’s ability to accept refugees. Given that the government has not been accepting asylum applications from Afghans living in their home country, they are led to flee Afghanistan and risk their lives in order to apply for asylum from neighboring countries”. In addition, the Canadian government has not yet issued an exemption for the document requested by UNHCR that proves applicants’ asylum status. There is a lack of balance in the refugee recruitment process, which is affecting vulnerable groups and minorities, and although the Canadian government admits to the necessity of focusing on the mentioned groups and creating procedures targeting them, Alio assures that there are none so far.

The positive turnout from Syrians in Canada and their interactions with the ‘Sa’al Mujareb’ campaign so far, along with the hope of harvesting greater support, is an experience that may actually revive a historical image of Syrians who welcomed refugees from European countries during World War II and later from Palestine, Iraq and Lebanon. This has paved the way for Syrians in Canada today to participate in assisting Afghan refugees, enabling them to manifest their true selves and offering a chance to show that they can do more, and can help others feel at home the way they were once welcomed.