The Resettlement of Refugees in Canada - Mennonite Involvement

by Tim Wichert
Refugee Assistance

Presentation to Mennonite Historical Society of Ontario, June 14, 2003

Every day, we read stories in the news of refugees fleeing from war and persecution: Iraq, Afghanistan, Congo, Ethiopia, Sudan. According to the United Nations, there are about 15 million refugees in the world, who have had to flee from their country. And another 30 million people are displaced within their own countries. These numbers are overwhelming.

Only a fraction of these people come to Canada. As many of you know, we have an elaborate - and complicated - process for accepting or rejecting these refugees. From around the world, about 25,000 refugees are accepted in Canada each year. Some of these come through the asylum process, and have their claims heard by the Immigration and Appeal Board - or IRB. Others are resettled directly from overseas through sponsorships, either by the Government or private groups.

But just 30 years ago, there was no system in place for people to claim refugee status. The Canadian immigration system gave priority to certain nationalities, primarily Europeans. That slowly began to change in the late 1960s. Canada signed the UN Refugee Convention in 1969. Slowly, we began to accept new immigrants from Africa and Asia. Procedures for making a refugee claim were put in place. A new Immigration Act in 1976 included a provision for private sponsorships. A Mennonite Member of Parliament, Jake Epp from Steinbach Manitoba, had been advocating this option in order for church groups and community groups - the private sector - to become involved in settling people in Canada.

Jake Epp's family, like many other Mennonite families including my own, had experienced suffering and persecution in South Russia - the Ukraine - after the First World War and the Russian Revolution. Mennonite Central Committee was created during this period - in 1920 - to assist Mennonites that were being persecuted and displaced by war in Russia and the Ukraine. There was an incredible amount of suffering. Many were victims of rape, arbitrary arrests and detention, torture, exile to Siberia, and summary execution. Many went hungry.

This personal connection with persecution, and the experience of being refugees, has continued to inspire many Mennonites to be involved in more recent refugee crises. And it provided the impetus for Mennonites - through MCC - to play a leading role in developing Canada's modern-day refugee assistance policy. The impetus for responding also arises from the Biblical imperative to love strangers as ourselves (Leviticus), to treat victims as we would want to be treated (Jesus' parable of the Good Samaritan), and to generously share our present abundance with those in need (Paul).

Along with changes in Canadian immigration policy in the late 1970s, the international scene changed dramatically. As we know, there was a huge exodus of people from Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam. They were fleeing persecution, and unstable political and economic conditions. Here in Canada, we were able to watch this crisis [unfolding in Southeast Asia] on television and in newspapers. Hundreds of thousands of people were fleeing. Some over land. Others were crowded onto boats, and became know as the boat people. Day after day, we heard stories of refugees searching for safety with incredible difficulties. Seeing these images, people here were asking, "What can we do?"

MCC had programs in the region. The question we asked was also - what could we do, how could we provide help in some small way for this huge group of people. What transpired was largely initiated by one person, John Wieler of Winnipeg. John was traveling in the region, and took a detour to see what was happening. He visited refugee camps in Thailand to witness the crisis firsthand. Upon his return to Canada, he did numerous interviews regarding the situation.

At a recent meeting of MCC refugee workers in Winnipeg, John was recounting the story. He did an interview with Macleans magazine about the crisis in Southeast Asia, and how Canada should respond. At the time, the Government of Canada had been thinking about taking 10,000 refugees. In his interview with Macleans, John Wieler suggested that Canada should take 50,000. That was 10% of the overall numbers at the time. It seemed like an outrageous suggestion.

What happened? In June 1979, the Canadian Government announced that 50,000 refugees would be resettled in Canada. Was it realistic? Well, over the next year and a half, 60,000 refugees came to Canada from Southeast Asia. Many of these were sponsored, or supported, by the Government. But over half of these - 34,000 - were sponsored by private groups. In fact, Canada accepted more refugees for resettlement - per capita - than any other country at that time. It was considered a "golden age" in Canadian refugee policy.

Across Canada that year - 1979 - churches, community groups and others were offering to sponsor refugees. There were over 7000 groups involved, primarily church groups. During this time, the MCC Office in Ottawa - in particular Bill Janzen - initiated discussions with the Government to draft a refugee sponsorship agreement. The purpose of this agreement would be to make the sponsorship process easier. MCC would assume the overall responsibility for all Mennonite churches and groups that wanted to sponsor refugees. These churches and groups would not have to deal with the Government bureaucracy; MCC would do that.

It was a remarkable innovation. MCC became the first official sponsorship organization. The Canadian Minister of Immigration Bud Cullen attended a signing ceremony at the MCC offices in Winnipeg.

Suddenly, the private sponsorship program, which had existed in theory, but had never been used before, became an extremely popular and useful tool to bring refugees to Canada. Groups would commit to helping refugees find a place to live, help them learn English, find a job, try and help them adjust to life in a new country and a new culture. In one fairly famous case, the Mayor of Ottawa, Marion Dewar, made a public statement saying that they would take 4000 refugees.

Mennonite churches sponsored almost 4000 refugees from Indochina in 1979 and 1980, which was over 10% of all the private sponsorships. Almost half of all Mennonite churches across Canada sponsored a family. There were some problems to be sure, some misunderstandings. But mostly, it was a positive experience. We learned about new cultures. We learned about life outside of our own communities and our own country.

Since those early days, Mennonite churches across Canada - through MCC - have continued to sponsor refugees. Over the past 24 years, we have helped approximately 15,000 refugees come and settle in Canada and start a new life. These days, approximately 15% of total private refugee sponsorships in Canada are done through MCC. MCC continues to have one of the largest sponsorship programs

Here in Ontario, First Mennonite Church - this church - is one of the most active Mennonite sponsorship groups, along with the Ottawa Mennonite Church, and the Toronto United Mennonite Church. The Ottawa Mennonite Church, for example, continues to sponsor an average of 4 or 5 cases each year. Approximately 100 people at the church are involved in the refugee program, through committees, support groups, and friendship circles.

Other churches will do a refugee sponsorship every few years. The Zurich Mennonite Church sponsored 2 families from Afghanistan last year, a total of 10 people - who all arrived just a few weeks before Christmas. Christmas was much different in Zurich that year.

Some churches have developed other refugee programs Here in Kitchener, Mennonite churches came together 15 years ago to form the Mennonite Coalition for Refugee Support. Many of you may know Eunice Valenzuela, originally from Nicaragua, who is currently the Director of the Coalition. In Toronto, Mennonite churches provided support for the Mennonite New Life Centre and New Life Church, started 20 years ago by Betty and Adolfo Puricelli. Both of these organizations continue to provide invaluable assistance for refugees.

And it's interesting to see where the refugees have come from. Unfortunately, it depends on where the current crisis is. As many of you know, in the 1980s we helped many people from Central America. We also had a special focus on Somalia and Ethiopia. In the early 1990's there was a focus on former Yugoslavia. But over the years, we have helped people literally from around the world. In the past few years, we have had special projects which have focused on refugees from Kosovo, from Sierra Leone, from Afghanistan and Colombia. Our work as been inter-faith; we have sponsored both Christians and Muslims. And we have worked closely with churches in other countries, e.g. the Mennonite Church in Colombia.

Refugee work remains at the heart of MCC work in Canada. When MCC Canada was created it was clearly given the task of continuing the work of the Canadian Mennonite Board of Colonization to help "Mennonite and other refugees". Today, MCC's first response to the plight of refugees and displaced people has been to provide food and other material assistance. Churches have collected refugee kits, blankets and clothes, and these things, along with food are being provided to people affected by wars in Afghanistan, Iraq, Sudan and Congo.

But many are unable to return home. Fortunately, many refugees who have been unable to return home have been able to find a new home in Canada. And Mennonites have played a significant role in shaping refugee policy in Canada to allow this to happen. The Canadian private sponsorship program - pioneered by MCC - is the only one of its kind in the world. It's a remarkable program that has allowed churches and other community groups in Canada to assist refugees, the displaced, and other vulnerable people in need of a new life.

It has allowed the Mennonite Church in Canada to grow and expand, but more importantly it has allowed us to establish a reputation as an open, welcoming community that is willing to love strangers/newcomers and share our generous abundance with those in need.

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