The shining city on a hill: Canada
America’s northern neighbor has assumed the status of global beacon of hope for the world’s oppressed people.
BERLIN
“Maybe there’s a chance that Canada will accept us.”
The first time I heard this from a Syrian refugee in Europe, it came as a surprise. The second time caught me off guard, too, but after that I soon realized this sentiment was a trend. Yes, Syrians in Europe, and especially Germany, have already made it to a much-coveted land, a refuge those surviving under the relentless shower of bombs in Aleppo would dream of reaching.
Yet being a refugee in Europe is hard, too. Families have been torn apart, half in Germany, half stuck in Greece after the borders closed. Some are housed in far-flung shelters in small towns with no idea how to assimilate or find jobs. Anti-immigrant sentiment is on the rise.
I’ve spoken with a few families who had applied for resettlement to Canada while they were still living as refugees in Lebanon or Turkey. In Fall 2015, these families saw thousands upon thousands making the journey to Europe across the Aegean Sea. They wondered if they should stay put and wait for Canada to get back to them, or go to Europe with the mass wave. The families chose Europe. Sometimes they regret that decision.
When troubles arise, as they often do, it’s natural to look for a solution that would seem to mitigate insurmountable problems. Canada, the entire country, functions as the proverbial city on the hill. It doesn’t matter if life in Canada would be tougher than they expected (just as it is in Europe). Hope in a brighter future is what’s important.
That hope isn’t completely unfounded. Canada has accepted nearly 35,000 Syrian refugees, mostly families, since the war in Syria began, and 30,000 of them came to Canada between November 2015 and August 2016. There have been a number of positive news reports about resettlement to Canada that aren’t lost on Syrian refugees around the world. The general feeling is that Canada welcomes Syrians. However, the vast majority of Syrians that Canada accepts come from Lebanon, Turkey and Jordan, not Europe.
The United States, a country that proudly defined itself by being refuge for those fleeing persecution around the world, doesn’t fill the role Canada does today. The U.S. has accepted about 10,000 Syrians refugees since October 2015 (even as it helps, along with Russia and others, to prolong the conflict).
Numbers aside, the most salient point is that the message coming from the U.S. is that Syrians are not welcome. The recent U.S. election drove that point home even further. I haven’t heard Syrians in Europe express hope that they will be resettled to the U.S. That door, they say, appears closed.
What does it mean to offer someone a place to call home? This short documentary explains:
Every Monday, Latterly publishes something uplifting about the world.
