Safety for Syrian refugee family? Maybe in a year: Fiorito

Happy Thanksgiving.

Here is something to be thankful for: the people of Fairlawn Ave. United Church are sponsoring a family of four Syrian refugees.

Christopher White is the minister at Fairlawn. “I saw a picture of a Syrian woman holding a baby last January. That Sunday, I told the story of Jesus as a refugee, and I used the picture in the sermon. At the end of the service, people were coming forward saying we had to do something.”

So who’s been doing what?

Mary Ellen Richardson said, “I’m looking after the collection of household things.” What has she collected? “Beds, dressers, clothing, school supplies, everything a family would need; dishes, cutlery, lamps, mirrors; all of that, because they’ll come with nothing; certainly no winter clothing.”

Rob Metcalf said, “I’ll help them with budgeting. It begins when they get here. They need to work out a budget.”

Because the parish has had previous experience with sponsorship, and because the people are big-hearted, they were quick to raise $40,000 on behalf of the family.

What’s the money for?

Kathleen Magladry is chair of the committee. “We’re responsible for the family for one year. They will be covered by OHIP — but not for prescription drugs, or dental, or eyeglasses. And refugees have to pay for their own transportation; they have six months to pay the money back.”

That, I did not know.

She said, “We were put in touch with a family in April — a mother, aged 43; a daughter, 21; and twin girls, aged 8.” And what of the father?

Kathleen said, quietly, “One day her husband went in a van with her and the twins to get bread for the village. He was shot and killed in front of them; a sniper, we were told.”

That is why people flee.

Here is another reason. Kathleen said, “The mother has an MA in anthropology, and a diploma in social work. Prior to her husband’s death, she was forced out of her job — she had been doing volunteer work for Amnesty International, and for the United Nations, documenting human rights abuses in Syria.”

You can see how that would get her in trouble. There is increased urgency now, because Lebanon is overflowing with Syrian refugees, the Lebanese can’t cope, and the government is beginning to deport some people back to Syria.

Kathleen said, “The mother is on a blacklist; if she returns, she will disappear.” OK, the money has been collected, all the necessary documents have been sent to Citizenship and Immigration, the sponsorship was approved on Aug. 18, and things are urgent; when will the family arrive?

There were frowns.

Christopher said, “We don’t know. We’ve been told maybe 12 months from now. We feel they’re at risk; they’re in that category. Really, all that’s left is for the government to do the final security checks, the medicals, the visa.”

I will not speculate about the reasons for the delay, but you are smart and you read the papers; you can make an informed guess without my help.

And so they have asked their MP, Joe Oliver, to do what he can to push the matter forward. John Cowan, a member of the committee said, “I was told to get a special form to authorize his office to speak. I sent that in on Sept. 4. I followed up by phone. I’ve heard nothing.”

Christopher said, “I called the Minister of Immigration; so far, no reply. I followed up and I was told everyone was campaigning.”

Mary Ellen said, “I called the constituency office. We gave them a petition, one with 191 signatures, and another with 50 more . . . I had a call from the constituency office. They asked if I wanted the family to jump the queue.”

I don’t know about queue jumping under such circumstances. The government has said it wants to take refugees, it has urged church groups to get involved, and it has identified people at risk as a priority.

You’d think the family would be sitting down to roast turkey with stuffing and gravy later on this afternoon.

I asked Mr. Oliver to comment. He made the usual claims, in an email, about how well Canada is doing. And then he said, “It would be inappropriate to comment on the particulars of one specific case.”

I really don’t see why.

He also said, “It would also be inappropriate for me to advocate queue jumping for one particular case over other equally worthy cases.” Yeah, but if there are a lot of cases where the threat of death is imminent, and if people at risk are a priority, is that not a reason to act quickly?

Finally, he said, “I have every reason to believe the case is being handled in an appropriate and expeditious manner by our embassy in Beirut.” Oh, gosh, that’s a relief.

The hell it is.

Happy Thanksgiving.