Metro Vancouver’s Sikh community, members of which suffered discrimination since first immigrating to Canada more than 100 years ago, are rallying to offer support to Syrian refugees, including free education and meals.
The federal government is to release details of a plan to bring 25,000 Syrians to Canada, and with at least 2,700 rumoured to be headed to B.C., locals are readying a welcome.
A few dozen representatives of B.C.’s Sikh community met with new Surrey Centre MP Randeep S. Sarai and offered to help thousands of Syrians by offering free tuition for 1,000 students at their private Khalsa Schools for one year and free meals and clothing to 2,000 refugees for three months.
“We are really excited about the refugees coming and if we can help, why not?” said Balwant Sanghera, one of the organizers.
He said temples in Vancouver, Richmond, New Westminster, Surrey and Abbotsford are preparing to accept donations of clothing and household items, which they will donate to a service organization to distribute to the newcomers.
A century ago, Sikhs who came to Canada were denied the right to vote, subjected to race riots in which they and Asians were targeted, and faced obstacles to landing on Canadian shores from a law designed to stop immigration from India. Today, their descendants want to ensure the Syrians feel welcome.
“We’re all immigrants,” said Sanghera. “We consider ourselves fortunate to be in a position to help others.”
Among goals on their “wish list” is to find housing for 200 families, pick up refugees from the airport, provide free medical services and place up to 100 children in daycare.
“There are lots of things that need to be hashed out,” he said.
He said there were security concerns about ISIL (the self-styled Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant) passing off members as immigrants, and said he hopes for “diligent screening.”
He also worried about the process being rushed to meet Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s Dec. 31 deadline.
Service agencies that regularly settle refugees and immigrants, such as Mosaic, are waiting to learn how many refugees are coming to B.C. and when, details that are expected Tuesday.
Mosaic has pledged to settle 1,000 refugees and is waiting for more details to help them find housing, jobs and schools for their kids. It has a tentative plan that’s awaiting approval for its budget by its board, said spokeswoman Dianna Lee.
Mosaic would like to hire as many as 20 workers to help deal with the influx, Lee said.
“Government funding would be nice, but we could find (the money) if necessary.”
Premier Christy Clark in September pledged $1 million in a “readiness fund” for the refugees, earmarked for counselling, aid for private sponsors, community support, foreign credential recognition and employer supports.
An accounting of that $1 million wasn’t available by press time.
The Immigrant Services Society of B.C. is co-ordinating the settlement with help from large community groups, such as the United Way and Red Cross.
The society said government-assisted refugees are eligible for federal resettlement income support for their first year, based on provincial welfare rates of $1,349 a month for a family of four, and an interest-bearing loan for their flights on which they must start making loan payments in the first year.
Immigrant Services said 85 per cent of refugees tend to settle in Vancouver, Surrey, Coquitlam, Burnaby and New Westminster.
It also said the settlers will need trauma counselling, based on a U.S. study that found two-thirds of refugees experience mental health issues, such as chronic depression, one-third suffer from post-traumatic stress, and adults are three times more likely to have mental health challenges.
— An Angus Reid poll done three days after the terrorist attacks that killed 130 in Paris showed Canadians are divided over plans to bring Syrian refugees to Canada mainly because of concerns over security screening. Half of those polled (54 per cent) were opposed to the Liberals’ plan and 42 per cent supported it. In B.C., support for settling refugees dropped to 47 per cent in the most recent poll compared to 50 per cent in October, and opposition jumped to 49 per cent, from 37 per cent in October.