Senate Statement on World Refugee Day 2019

Hon. Ratna Omidvar: Honourable senators, I rise to mark World Refugee Day. I could start by quoting the numbers, which are the highest ever, but I fear that over time we become inured to numbers. Let me try to make them real for you in another way.

If we placed the displaced people of the world next to each other with their fingertips touching, they would circumvent the circumference of the globe, not once but twice.

The decision to leave your home, family and country is never an easy one. Refugees today face a very uncertain future, but also an extremely dangerous one. More than half are women and children, putting themselves in the reach of human trafficking and sexual slavery. We need to be both compassionate but clear-eyed, aspirational yet pragmatic.

The World Refugee Council, of which I am a member, has proposed recommendations that could be a transformative response to the refugee and displacement crisis.

First, it calls for the creation of a Global Action Network for the forcibly displaced. Because this cascade of human misery touches us all, either today or tomorrow, this group of champions will include not only refugee-hosting countries, donor countries, civil society organizations, but also the private sector and multilateral institutions such as the IMF and the WTO. By bringing unusual suspects to the table, agile and flexible solutions that rest on more than the simple and well-meaning charity of the world can be arrived at.

Second, we need to tackle the unforgotten. These are the people who have fled their homes but haven’t crossed the international borders, so they are out of the reach of the UNHCR and the world’s organized response to refugees. The World Refugee Council calls on the United Nations Secretary-General to appoint a representative for international displaced peoples. This representative would be the first step towards a coordinated international response to a growing problem.

Third, we need to make those perpetrators who are directly responsible for creating waves of oppression and displacement pay. We need to take their ill-gotten gains that are stashed in Canada and repurpose them to help people they have harmed, especially the forcibly displaced.

Finally, I would like to say a word about the upcoming election. I implore all political parties not to use refugees and asylum seekers as a wedge issue because this will only sow fear and division.

Canada tops all other countries in refugee resettlements. This is a badge of pride, not of concern. The Canadian response has always been one of compassion. In light of the growing crisis in the world, this is not the time to change that. Thank you.