Canadian Parliament Votes to Bring Uyghurs to Canada
February 1st, 2023
STATEMENT - Justice For All Canada expresses our appreciation to the Canadian Parliament for voting unanimously in favour of M-62, a motion seeking to establish a refugee stream for Uyghur Muslims. Sponsored by MP Sameer Zuberi, the motion urges expedited entry for 10,000 Uyghurs through Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada’s Refugee and Humanitarian Resettlement Program.
“Today’s landmark refugee vote establishes Canada’s place in our collective struggle to halt China’s genocide against Uyghurs. Globally, Uyghurs constitute one of the most neglected refugees. Human rights defenders now call on Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly and Immigration Minister Sean Fraser to urgently legislate this motion,” said Taha Ghayyur, Executive Director.
Oppressive Chinese state policies have forced thousands of Uyghurs to flee their East Turkestan homeland searching for safety and freedom. As refugees, Uyghurs face significant challenges finding a safe place to resettle. Nearby countries, particularly Muslim nations, have failed to extend a safe haven for Uyghurs due to pressure from China’s government.
Within those few countries that do accept Uyghurs, they have experienced discrimination, harassment, and a lack of social acceptance.
Through our Save Uyghur campaign, Justice For All Canada advocates for Uyghur refugees experiencing an epidemic of transnational repression. China’s communist government has taken documented measures to track, survey, control and repress Uyghurs for defending themselves or their communities in East Turkestan (Xinjiang) and China.
Uyghurs abroad are threatened, extradited or deported to China, where they face the serious risk of detention in internment camps, forced labour, and restrictions on fundamental freedoms, among other crimes against humanity.
One example includes Canadian citizen Huseyin Celil, an Uyghur activist deported to China in 2006. To no avail, Celil’s family in Canada continues to await news of his wellbeing. In 2022, Justice For All Canada joined Amnesty International in adopting Celil as a prisoner of conscience.
Recommendations
Canada has a long history of helping refugees through a robust asylum system working to resettle millions of vulnerable people. Like Syrians, Afghans and Ukrainians, Uyghurs deserve life-saving refugee assistance.
When legislating Motion 62, we urge Canada’s Foreign Affairs and Immigration Ministers to consider implementing the following actions:
Resources
We encourage Canadians to take action.
Help us engage Canada’s government in halting illegal deportations of Uighurs to China by expediting the implementation of Motion 62.
Take action by sending a letter here: https://www.justiceforallcanada.org/motion62.html
STATEMENT - Justice For All Canada expresses our appreciation to the Canadian Parliament for voting unanimously in favour of M-62, a motion seeking to establish a refugee stream for Uyghur Muslims. Sponsored by MP Sameer Zuberi, the motion urges expedited entry for 10,000 Uyghurs through Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada’s Refugee and Humanitarian Resettlement Program.
“Today’s landmark refugee vote establishes Canada’s place in our collective struggle to halt China’s genocide against Uyghurs. Globally, Uyghurs constitute one of the most neglected refugees. Human rights defenders now call on Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly and Immigration Minister Sean Fraser to urgently legislate this motion,” said Taha Ghayyur, Executive Director.
Oppressive Chinese state policies have forced thousands of Uyghurs to flee their East Turkestan homeland searching for safety and freedom. As refugees, Uyghurs face significant challenges finding a safe place to resettle. Nearby countries, particularly Muslim nations, have failed to extend a safe haven for Uyghurs due to pressure from China’s government.
Within those few countries that do accept Uyghurs, they have experienced discrimination, harassment, and a lack of social acceptance.
Through our Save Uyghur campaign, Justice For All Canada advocates for Uyghur refugees experiencing an epidemic of transnational repression. China’s communist government has taken documented measures to track, survey, control and repress Uyghurs for defending themselves or their communities in East Turkestan (Xinjiang) and China.
Uyghurs abroad are threatened, extradited or deported to China, where they face the serious risk of detention in internment camps, forced labour, and restrictions on fundamental freedoms, among other crimes against humanity.
One example includes Canadian citizen Huseyin Celil, an Uyghur activist deported to China in 2006. To no avail, Celil’s family in Canada continues to await news of his wellbeing. In 2022, Justice For All Canada joined Amnesty International in adopting Celil as a prisoner of conscience.
Recommendations
Canada has a long history of helping refugees through a robust asylum system working to resettle millions of vulnerable people. Like Syrians, Afghans and Ukrainians, Uyghurs deserve life-saving refugee assistance.
When legislating Motion 62, we urge Canada’s Foreign Affairs and Immigration Ministers to consider implementing the following actions:
- Increase the number of Uyghur refugees to at least 30,000 (instead of 10,000);
- Launch the resettlement plan sooner than 2024 because Uyghur refugees require speedy humanitarian intervention.
Resources
We encourage Canadians to take action.
Help us engage Canada’s government in halting illegal deportations of Uighurs to China by expediting the implementation of Motion 62.
Take action by sending a letter here: https://www.justiceforallcanada.org/motion62.html