Canada Leading the Way for Welcoming Refugees

We now have a better idea of numbers, when it comes to the resettling of refugees.

According to the United Nations Refugee Agency, Canada admitted the largest number of resettled refugees in 2018, at 28,100 of the 92,400 - 417 of them in Windsor.

In addition, Canada had the second highest rate of refugees who gained citizenship with over 18,000 becoming Canadian citizens in 2018.

Melanie Gallant, spokesperson for the United Nations Refugee Agency, says Canadians across the country have joined together.

"Many in their communities, in their workplaces, book clubs, to welcome refugees and to sponsor them to come to Canada," she says. "So I think the Canadian experience is one of generosity."

She hopes Canada will continue to play a leadership role on the global stage in terms of encouraging other countries to also resettle refugees..

Gallant says something that everybody can do to help, is to create a positive narrative around refugees.

"Across the world and here in Canada as well, there's an increasingly toxic narrative around refugees. The High Commissioner himself has said that he's never seen a time where this discourse was so negative and so toxic. So, I think we can all do our part to ensure that the conversation is positive, factual, and objective."

Most of those arriving in Windsor are from Syria, Iraq, Congo, Somalia and Sudan.  

According to the United Nations Refugee Agency, Canada has been a leader on welcoming refugees, but officials worry that asylum seekers may become a punching bag issue during this fall's federal election.
    
Overall, the number of people fleeing war, persecution and conflict worldwide ballooned to over 70 million - the highest level since the Second World War.