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Canada has received significant praise for its ongoing assistance and acceptance of immigrants and refugees throughout history. From accepting approximately 44,000 Syrian refugees to providing resettlement for various refugees from regions such as The Middle East, Canada has received praise from global organizations for its contribution to the livelihood of those who require hope.
With regards to the Somalian refugees, this is no exception. Since the 1980s, Canada has welcomed thousands of refugees attempting to escape the human rights abuse of the Somalian dictator Siad Barre and the civil war that occurred after his regime fell in 1991. Reports say that roughly 55,000 to 70,000 Somali refugees arrived from 1988 to 1996, displaying Canada’s willingness to assist those in danger.
However, since the inception of the civil war in 1991, Somalia has remained a destabilized country, with famine, clan warfare, and drought happening in mass numbers. This has resulted in over six million people requiring humanitarian assistance. Since 2013, Canada has engaged in the re-establishment of diplomatic support for Somalia through humanitarian aid, as well as the continual acceptance of Somali refugees and asylum seekers.
In 2018, Mohammed Abdi Affey, the special envoy of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees for the Horn of Africa, arrived in Canada to brief policymakers on the refugee crisis in the East African region. He cited that over one million Somalis have resided in Kenya’s Dadaab refugee camp for over 27 years. Affey proposed that Canada begins increasing the number of refugees it accepts, particularly single mothers and those who are in need of medical care.
Affey expressed that apart from resettling refugees, Canada must continue the investment of foreign aid dollars into the Horn of Africa. Focusing on establishing education opportunities for refugees and young girls. In 2017 the federal Canadian government provided $10.4 million dollars in humanitarian aid for Somalia in the form of emergency food assistance, as well as health and education protection for children.
Canada has displayed and continued to ensure its support for Somali refugees through a variety of methods. However, the Canadian government must also ensure the support for Somali refugees within their own borders. Somalian refugees in Toronto report discrimination in both education and employment opportunities that may be related to negative perceptions of the community as a whole. Assistance should be provided to local communities to assure the safety of Somalis as well as make them feel accepted within our nation.
Ieuan Edwards, Dec 2021.
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