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Syrian child’s tragic death must spurn Canada to action, refugee group says

Syrian child’s tragic death must spurn Canada to action, refugee group says

More than four years after Syria deteriorated into civil war, the images of a three-year-old boy’s lifeless body washed up on a Turkish beach has spurred the world to action.

Alan Kurdi was one of more than four million Syrians who have fled the bloodshed in their homeland. At least half of those refugees are children. It is estimated another six million Syrians are displaced by war within the country.

The photo of Alan on the beach hit Usama Shaker like a fist.

“When I see it my tears are falling down. I look at my kids and I think if I was there, one of my kids may be one of those kids. And the world just standing and doing nothing,” says the president of the Syrian Canadian Council, his voice breaking.

“We have to do something.”

It has been almost a year since the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees issued an appeal for the international community to do more.

Germany has pledged to resettle between 800,000 and one million Syrian refugees in this year. Since Alan’s death more than 11,000 Icelanders have offered to take Syrian refugees into their homes.

Toronto Mayor John Tory pledged on Friday to co-sponsor a refugee family.

Canada has come under fire for its response to the largest global humanitarian crisis since the Second World War but according to the most recent data from the UNHCR, this country is second to only Germany when it comes to its commitment to resettling Syrian refugees.

Canada has pledged more than $700 million in humanitarian assistance and support since 2012 and made an initial commitment to take in 1,300 Syrian refugees — a commitment met in March, says Citizen and Immigration Canada. All are not in Canada and have been granted permanent resident status.

The government made a further commitment earlier this year to take in another 10,000 displaced Syrians. As of Aug. 24, 1,074 have been resettled, the department says.

Most of those refugees have been privately sponsored, not government-assisted refugees. Groups like Lifeline Syria have vowed to organize those private sponsorships but the process so far has been lengthy.

Lifeline Syria has committed to bring 1,000 Syrian refugees to the Greater Toronto Area (GTA). Faculty and students at Toronto’s Ryerson University launched the Ryerson Lifeline Syria Challenge in July to sponsor 11 families – approximately 44 of those people.

The response has been incredible so far, says Samantha Jackson, a graduate student who is co-ordinating the volunteer effort. No refugees have arrived yet. The first are expected in February.

“It is a long process and it is not an easy one,” Jackson tells Yahoo Canada News.

“Immigration processes and refugee sponsorship in particular, there’s a lot of steps and a lot of stakeholders so it takes time, unfortunately.”

Alani, his five-year-old brother Ghalib and their mother Rehenna drowned Wednesday trying to reach Greece by boat. Although initial reports said relatives in Canada tried to sponsor them to resettle here, Citizenship and Immigration Canada says they received no application. An application was filed but not finished for another brother in the family.

But the Canadian Council for Refugees says their tragic deaths must spurn Canada to respond better to the refugee crisis in Syria.

“We shouldn’t need to wait for a tragedy like this to realize we must open our doors,” council co-director Loly Rico says in a statement.

“We call on an urgent basis for Syrians with family in Canada to be allowed to travel here immediately and complete processing in Canada where they can be safe. We don’t want to see any more children die in this way.”

The council is asking government to be more flexible in allowing in Syrians with family in Canada, such as use of temporary resident permits.

They want a commitment to bring 10,000 government-assisted refugees, as opposed to relying on privately sponsorships.

And they want Ottawa to lift barriers to private sponsorships, including the cumbersome document requirements.

Lifeline Syria is looking for families in the GTA who have family members they would like to reunite with in Canada.

The government of Canada prefers groups of five for private sponsorship and the Ryerson organization has 11 teams raising the $27,000 needed to sponsor a family of four for one year.

The teams will help families once they arrive in Canada with everything from obtaining status to finding a job to showing them the way to the grocery store.

“A really huge part of the story is the social and emotional support that you provide through resettlement,” she says.

The photo of Alan Kurdi is so heartbreaking, she says, but it has awakened the world to the tragedy of the Syrian people.

“There’s really no words to describe how visceral and real the tragedy is when you see it in this photo, when you see it in its human form and it becomes something people can’t ignore,” she says.

“I can tell you that my inbox was full this morning. People have been calling. They’re been asking what they can do.”

Shaker hopes the public — and the Canadian government — maintains their outrage.

“I hope this is not to be just propaganda for two or three weeks and then we’re back again doing nothing,” says Shaker, who understands all too well the fear and tragedy of fleeing your country.

His father fled Syria days ahead of his arrest, leaving his family behind. The family joined him in Lebanon in 1980, though not as refugees.

Charities including Islamic Relief Canada and Human Concern International have been raising funds and collecting goods that are sent to help Syrian refugees.