February 10th, 2009
Canadian gov’t refugee minor children family reunification traits barbaric, a violation of UN Rights of the Child Act
By Joseph Saronge,
USA
Canada remains a safe haven for refugees with each year welcoming a staggering high number of the displaced worldwide.
In 2007 Canada received over 200,000 refugees from all over the world, a faith based charity organization working with new comers and refugees “the East Africa Christians Transformation Mission Fellowship-(EACTMF), Canada agrees and applauds that gesture.
However a number of refugees are yet to see their families join them. Parents who left behind their young ones when fleeing war and other human atrocity are yet to set their eyes on their families. As President and Founder of (EACTMF) Rev Okoth Otura who is also a protected person himself, points out that there is more rhetoric than action when it comes to reuniting families left behind by refugees Canada is hosting.
His mission has for the past few years been offering spiritual counselling for many of the refugees from Africa and other parts of the world with most suffering from stress related health cases due to prolonged separations with their families.
We all know that psychological trauma, an emotional or psychological injury, usually resulting from an extremely stressful or life-threatening situation among refugees can be an unbearable to those affected. If the Canadian Government speed up the process of reunification of refugees will they show the rest of the world that they are committed to what they have always done best and that is solving refugee cases effectively.
The most affected are those who left their minor children behind with dreams and hope that they will be re-united with their families after escaping dragnet of their persecutors.
Rev Otura who is also leads the unregistered Christian Democratic Movement of Kenya (CDMK) says," Unfortunately the struggle continues for the refugees in Canada suffering from trauma, loneliness and depression, while their children live in poor conditions with lack of health care which may result to death or harm".
As Poul Hartling, UN High Commissioner for Refugees, 1978-1985 once said, "There are many challenges facing the international community today but few, in my mind, are more pressing than those of finding humanitarian solutions to refugee problems. We talk of regional conflicts, of economic and social crises, of political instability, of abuses of human rights, of racism, religious intolerance, inequalities between rich and poor, hunger, over-population, under-development and, I could go on and on. Each and every one of these impediments to humanity’s pursuit of well-being are also among the root causes of refugee problems".
Canada is signatory to the International Convention on civil and political rights, torture and other cruel inhuman treatment and they must stand up to the core values of the UN Convention on Child protection act and speed up the processing of visas to minors who are yet to reunite with their families.
According to Rev Otura the process for both refugees homes offices and in Canada are painstakingly slow and many having lived in Canada for several years, are yet to see their children join them. A situation which he says may lead to further desperation and hopelessness. Indeed these vulnerable children are sexually abused, forced into joining militias or are generally exploited by their guardians.
For Canada to continue improving their image as "the place" they have to listen to the cries of the refugees who may view their treatment as epistemic arrogance of human race.2009 is proving to be an economic annus horribilis but it is my hope that despite the hard economic times on planet earth, Canada and other countries that have been assisting refugees do not make the refugee situation more apocalyptic.
Despite the fact the figures released by the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) in 2006 that has refugees at over 8 Million worldwide the struggle for the displaced continues.
Antonio Guterres, United nations High Commissioner for Refugees back in 2000 had this to say about refugees "While every refugee story is different and their anguish personal , they all share a common courage, the courage not only to survive but to persevere and rebuild their shuttered lives".
Sometime back the Canadian government stated in part on Bill C-31 “New regulations will ensure faster and easier family reunification for refugees by allowing dependants of refugees to be processed as part of the same application for a period of one year after the principal applicant has acquired permanent resident status. Refugees and their dependants would be exempted from the "excessive medical demand" bar through regulations made under section 38 of the proposed Act
The Bill C-31 which title “The Strengthening Family Reunification” sounds too convincing but refugee minors are still trapped in Canada High Commission offices backlog. And due to culture of corruption in some offices where refugees originate, families have found it difficult to reunite.
Today Canada gives its residents opportunity to get involved and help settle refugee. Groups and individuals too can sponsor refugees from abroad who qualify to travel to Canada.
It is our hope that refugees will continue to survive and be reunited with their loved ones. A vast majority are not environmentally displaced like the drought in the 70s that displaced millions of farmers and nomads from sohel region to cities.
Albert Einstein,a renowned physicist and a Nobel Price winner who was himself a refugee at one time concludes it better " Try not to become a man of success, but rather try to become a man of value".
Posted by:
Rev Okoth Otura,