Just outside Toronto, at Mississauga’s Celebration Square, a small group of Syrians came to celebrate upon learning that the Syrian city of Homs had fallen to opposition forces. For many of them, this was a moment of relief as the battle of their native country appeared to be almost over. But the announcement that President Bashar al-Assad had left his nation indicating the possible fall of his government, transformed the modest gathering into a tsunami of joyful voices and tears.
One Syrian immigrant who resettled in Toronto as a young man claimed to be crying for more than forty-five minutes. As a Canadian citizen now, he considers how far his people have gone and helped plan the spontaneous ceremony. “It’s not just the fall of Assad, but the fall of a government causing so much suffering and misery.”
Many Syrians consider this triumph the end of a protracted and agonizing chapter. For some, though, the news also generates conflicting feelings. Syria’s future is still unknown, but its liberation gives its people hope even as they keep calling Canada home.
How Did Canada Turn into a Safe Haven for Syrian Refugees?
Originally 17, when he first participated in anti-government demonstrations in Syria, one refugee is now well-known for his continuous advocacy of human rights and support of Syrian refugees. Arriving in Canada alongside a flood of others who left war-torn nations between 2015 and 2016, he was part of a government-wide huge refugee resettlement project run by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. While its southern neighbour, the United States, adopted a divisive strategy with threats to exclude Muslims from entering the nation, Canada welcomed those fleeing a deadly conflict under Trudeau’s pledge to resettle 25,000 Syrians.
“I’m happy to call Canada home now,” he remarked. It is our turn to support our people from here and help rebuild our nation.” Syria’s future is still vital for him and many others, but Canada will always be their home.
What part did private sponsorship play in the success of refugees in Canada?
Like many others, Muzna Dureid battled personally as she left Syria. She had seen her brother arrested three months after the revolution, her social media accounts hacked by Assad’s intelligence, and her uncle killed for his pro-democracy campaigning. She left for Turkey as the situation grew intolerable and finally got a fellowship to study in Montreal.
“I never knew how long it would take me to feel safe again,” she said. A Facebook call-out for a place to stay resulted in a lifetime relationship with a Quebec family who not only gave her housing but also assisted in sponsoring the migration of her whole family into Canada.
Since 1979, Canada has assisted in resetting around 390,000 refugees under private sponsorship. This approach has been crucial in bringing Syrians to Canada and lets individual citizens or groups cover the expense of resettlement. About half of the Syrian refugees arriving between 2015 and 2016 through private sponsorship helped Canada reach its lofty resettlement targets.
Why Do Syrians Feel Their Home in Canada?
Canada welcomed people escaping violence and persecution while the Syrian civil war raged on. Among many Syrians who feel strongly linked to their new country is Dureid, a human-rights activist and policy expert who has worked with Canada’s Ministry for gender equality. “We discovered security and calm in Canada. It’s the nation that allowed us to start over in our life,” she remarked. She intends to continue her job despite the changes in Syria, spending time between Syria and Canada assisting in rebuilding her native country.
“My dream is to have a ministry for gender equality in Syria,” she said, “and to help to create a better future for women and girls there.”
Future Changes in the Refugee Policy of Canada?
Though many see it as a ray of optimism, Canada’s refugee resettlement program could have difficulties. As it deals with a continuous housing shortage and growing living expenses, the present government is considering lowering the number of permanent residents. Though it’s unknown how these developments would influence Canada’s refugee policies, they could have an impact.
The nation is still ranked fifth in the world for asylum seekers right now, and its friendly reception contrasts sharply with the policies in several other countries. For many, though, the ambiguity about Canada’s refugee programs’ future continues to cause anxiety.
Syrian refugees in Canada have what aspirations?
Arriving in Canada in 2016, Maya Almasalmeh, a Western University in Ontario sociology student, was just seventeen. She lost her house and her grandfather, a second father to her, and personally saw the atrocities of the civil war while born and reared in Deraa, Syria. She replied, “He stole our childhood.”
Almasalmeh, the eldest daughter in a seven-child household, also assumed caring for her siblings, a task outside her family. She now intends to repay the society that welcomed her.
“Canada is the nation that brought forth harmony. She said it provided me with education and guided me toward becoming a person. “But we will return to help rebuild Syria’s new generation.” Almasalmeh wants to work as a social worker, offering the same kind of support and care her family originally came upon in Canada.
Like many others, Almasalmeh is securely anchored in Canada even though she wants to return and assist in rebuilding her native country. “Our birthplace is Canada. I would say it’s our heart,” she replied. We will never forget how Canada allowed us to live happily again.”
Why do Some Syrians need to be Sure About Going Back Home?
For others, the news of Assad’s leaving excites them but cautiously. Resettled in Edmonton in late 2015, Basel Abou Hamrah had to leave his native country and battled concerns about identification when he arrived in Canada, particularly considering he had not yet come out to his family as gay.
” Edmonton is home. This is my family right here, said Abou Hamrah. “But right now, Syria is a place I cannot return to.” Particularly about LGBTQ rights, he worries about the nation’s direction. Abou Hamrah is still determining whether Syria will be a secure environment for people like him, even if an Islamist rebel organization is now significantly involved in the country’s liberation.
Emphasizing the ongoing serious issues, he added, “There are lots of LGBTQ refugees who—no matter what the new government looks like—will not be safe.” Reports of the government targeting homosexual men before the revolution abound, and even if things may have changed, the future is yet unknown.
Why would some Syrians wish to go back home knowing the dangers?
For some Syrians, the possibility of going home is no longer a far-off fantasy. Israa El Issa, a mother of four, left Aleppo with her family and was sponsored by West Coast private residents to Canada. She had been studying toward a nursing degree in Canada but now views Syria’s probable future as cause for postponing her aspirations.
“God willing, I’ll finish my studies in Syria instead,” she remarked, longing clearly in her voice. Particularly with the death of her father from cancer soon after she arrived in Canada, El Issa feels a great distance from her family in Syria.
“Our country is Syria,” she said. “We were refugees because there was war in our country, and it wasn’t safe to stay. But now, God willing, safety will return, and of course, we will return too.”
Ultimately, what prospects exist for Syrian refugees living in Canada?
For many Syrian immigrants in Canada, the celebration at Mississauga’s Celebration Square signalled a fresh chapter. However, their emotions are conflicted as they consider the tragedy they have gone through and the unknown destiny of their country. While Syria’s freedom from Assad marks a victory, for many, Canada will remain their first home—at least for now.
