Welcome to Canada / bienvenue au Canada

This was my Facebook status last night

 and this is why......

According to the WWW, "by the end of August 2014, the UN estimated 6.5 million people had been displaced in Syria, while more than 3 million refugees had fled to countries such as Lebanon (1.14 million), Jordan (608,000) and Turkey (815,000)."

There are hundreds of thousands of refugees living in camps in these countries. I can only image what the conditions are like. 

Actually, I probably can't. 

I arrived in Canada after a leisurely business class flight from Johannesburg.  Keith did the same a month or so later. The dogs (three of them) flew here via Amsterdam in warm crates with blankets and toys. Our entire household was packed up, boxed, and shipped to Toronto via Montreal. Every box was packed in Johannesburg, and unpacked in Toronto. We didn't lift a finger. I had a job. There was no disruption of my salary other than a conversion from South African Rand to Canadian Dollar. Sure, I lost a little with the exchange rate and so for the first year at least we "dropped our standard of living" by buying groceries at No Frills, went without a car for 4 years and only ate out once a week. 

I believe that we (Keith and I) worked hard to integrate and we made a concerted effort to learn the Canadian way but we had it easy. And we have benefited immensely from this opportunity, and from the attitude that is Canada, that welcomes you with open arms, because approximately 20% of the population of Canada comprises foreign-born individuals who arrived as emigrants, and that is one of the things that makes this country great. 

There was no prouder day for me than the day that I stood in front of a Judge and took my Oath of Citizenship. I have written before about how I used to ridicule Americans for their overt patriotism because as a South African, while I love and adore Africa, didn't feel that allegiance to my country. But I felt (feel) it for Canada. Now I get it.

There are those that have challenged the processes that you have to follow to become a Canadian Citizen and I have been very vocal about this both in person and on Facebook. Canada prides itself on being liberal, tolerant, accepting and anti-discriminatory. This, in my opinion, has lead to some occurrences of abuse. There is a fine line between acceptance, and integration. On one side we pride ourselves in being able to accommodate all cultures, religions and views and yet on the other there is the battle to maintain the Canada that has fought hard to distinguish itself from others. There are those that want to become Citizens, but refuse to take the Oath because it involves swearing allegiance to the Queen; there is the recent debate around a woman's refusal to remove her Niqab and show her face during the ceremony. My opinion, and my opinion alone, is that as an emigrant I am lucky and grateful to have been accepted by this Country and as such it is my duty to accept the country for what it is according to the existing rules by which it is governed. I did not have to become a Citizen, I could have remained a Permanent Resident indefinitely. I chose to become a Citizen and as such, I chose to accept the rules and requirements associated. I think that Citizens have the right to voice their opinions and decide on changes, but I do not agree that non-Citizens have the right to make changes, in order for, or prior to them to become Citizens. Regardless, I would bet that the majority of us, whether we agree or nor, have had plenty opportunities and choices.

The Syrian refugees do not.

A few months ago we (well, most of us) proudly welcomed in Justin Trudeau as Prime Minister. I voted for him; not only because he's really cute, but because he IS Canada (to me). Last night he waited at the airport as the first refugees arrived in Canada. There are tears in my eyes every time I watch the news coverage, see the gift packages, clothes,  hear of the multitude of families that are contributing privately to assist these people in their journey. My father was a refugee out of Romania, my great grandparents fled Lithuania. I didn't flee South Africa, but I left because I was seeking a better life.

Of the arriving refugees, Mr. Trudeau said "Tonight they step off the plane as refugees but they walk out this terminal as permanent residents of Canada with social insurance numbers, with health cards, and with an opportunity to become full Canadians".

Watch the video below, and tell me you didn't feel something.

Welcome to Canada / bienvenue au Canada

 'You Are Home': Canada's Justin Trudeau Welcomes Syrian Refugees 

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