TheRightHonourableStephenHarper

PrimeMinisterofCanada
80WellingtonStreet
Ottawa,ONK1A0A2
Byfax:6139416900
Byemail:mailto:pm@gc.ca

September3,2015

DearPrimeMinisterHarper,

WearewritingthisOpenLettertoyouandtotheleadersofallfederalpartieswithanappeal
forpoliticsandcampaigningtobeputasideandforthegovernmenttotakeimmediate,
concreteandgenerousstepstosignificantlyboostCanada'scontributiontothemounting
Syrianrefugeecrisis.

TheneedformeaningfulCanadianactionhasbecomeallthemoreurgentwiththeagonizing
newsthatthereisaCanadianconnectiontotheheartbreakingcaseofAylanKurdi,a
threeyearoldSyriantoddlerwhosebodywashedashorethisweekonaTurkishbeach.The
tragedythathasbefallenAylanKurdiandhisfamilydramaticallyunderscoresthatthiscrisis
isnotoneforTurkey,LebanonandJordanalonetobearatthefrontlines.Itisnotacrisis
limitedtoGreece,Italy,Hungaryandothersfacedwithmassinfluxes.Itisnotacrisiswhich
theEuropeanUnionalonemustresolve.
ThehumanrightsandhumanitariancrisisinSyriaisglobal.Thestaggeringrefugeecrisisit
hasprovokedisglobal.Thesolutionsmustbeglobal.IndeeditisalsoCanada'scrisisand
Canadamustactdecisivelyandgenerouslyinopeningupsafetyforthegrowingnumberof
refugeeswhoarefacedwiththeimpossiblechoiceofremainingindesperateconditionsin
refugeecampsorofmakingterrifyingjourneysandriskingtheirlivestoescapeendless
suffering.

TherehasbeenconsiderabledebateoverthepastyearaboutthenumberofSyrianrefugees
whowillbeacceptedforresettlementtoCanada.LastyearAmnestyInternationalcalledon
thegovernmenttomakeacommitmenttoaccept10,000Syrianrefugeesthrough
governmentsponsorshipbytheendof2016,withaccompanyingmeasurestoensurespeedy
processing.Weurgedthattherealsobeanincreaseinthelevelsofprivatesponsorshipof
Syrianrefugees.WeweredisappointedthatgovernmentmeasuresannouncedinJanuary
2015werefarbelowthatlevel.Thosenumbersmustbeimmediatelyboosted.
GiventhereportsthathavesurfacedrevealingthatAylanKurdiandhisfamilyhadappliedfor
resettlementtoCanadathroughtheassistanceandsponsorshipofhisaunt,aCanadian

citizen,andthattheapplicationwasunsuccessfulforreasonsthatarenotyetclearitisof
obviouscrucialimportancethatmeasuresbetakentoensurefastprocessingofcasesof
SyrianswithfamilyconnectionsinCanada.

AmnestyInternationaliscallingonthegovernmenturgentlytotakethefollowingsteps.

LiftobstaclestospeedyfamilyreunificationsuchthatSyrianrefugeeswithrelativesin
CanadaareabletotravelimmediatelytosafetyinCanadaandhavetheircasesprocessed
fromwithinthecountry.
Announceaprogramtoimmediatelyresettleaminimumof10,000SyrianstoCanada
throughgovernmentsponsorship,selectedonthebasisofneed.Followthatupwithfurther
announcementsofincreasedlevelsofgovernmentresettlementoverthenext18months.
Providesupportandencouragementadditionallyforgenerouslevelsofprivatesponsorship
ofSyrianrefugeesforresettlementtoCanadabyremovingbarrierssuchaslimitson
eligibilityforhealthcareanddocumentrestrictionsin"GroupofFive"sponsorships.
Onanurgentbasissignificantlyboostfinancial,humanandlogisticalresources,inCanada
andabroad,toensurethatSyrianrefugeecasesareprocessedexpeditiously.
LaunchanimmediatereviewoftheAylanKurdicasetoidentifyanyobstaclesthatstoodin
thewayofapprovalofhisfamily'sapplicationforresettlementtoCanadaandinstituteall
possiblemeasurestoaddressthoseproblems.
MakeaclearcommitmentthatincreasedeffortswithrespecttoSyrianrefugeeswillbe
additionalto,andnotattheexpenseof,ongoinggovernmentandprivateresettlementof
refugeesfromothercountries.
IntensifyCanada'seffortstoensuremoreeffectiveinternationalactionistakentoresolve
theconflictandhumanrightscrisisinSyria,includingbyworkingtowardsacomprehensive
globalarmsembargoagainstSyriaandprovidingincreasedlevelsofhumanitarianaid.

ItistimetoactPrimeMinisterHarper.Giventheurgencyandgravitythisrequiresyour
leadership.Canadamustacceptitsshareofresponsibilityandstepupitsresponse.We
havethecapacity,theexperience,theconnections,thewillandabovealltheresponsibility
todoso.

Sincerely,

AlexNeve,SecretaryGeneral
AmnestyInternationalCanada