Taha Ghayyur: Canada must act urgently on pledge to take in Uyghur refugees from China

In a refreshing break from the often-divisive politics we see in Parliament, members of all parties have come together to back the settlement of 10,000 refugees from China’s Uyghur minority.

This week, the House of Commons made history with a vote on M-62, a motion tabled by MP Sameer Zuberi calling for the establishment of a refugee stream specifically for Uyghur Muslims. This is an unprecedented move that marks a strong commitment to protecting minority groups facing persecution around the world. The vote marks a milestone for advocates, activists and politicians who have long been calling for Canada to provide a safe haven for those fleeing persecution overseas.

The motion that was passed by a majority of the House affirms that Canadians want Uyghur refugees to be able to enter the country as soon as possible. Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly and Immigration Minister Sean Fraser need to urgently legislate this motion before 2024 to open Canada’s doors to these refugees. Advocates are already demanding that Canada expand its intake to at least 30,000.

This motion is an important step towards addressing ongoing human rights violations by China. The world has been speaking out against the gross human rights violations against Uyghurs and the Chinese government’s oppressive policies, including forced labour and cultural suppression. Since 2016, human rights groups have estimated that over one million Uyghurs have been held in what Beijing refers to as “re-education camps”, prison-like facilities in which they are indoctrinated. Due to the dire conditions and systematic oppression of their people, many Uyghurs, along with other Turkic communities, have been forced to flee their homeland and seek refuge in such Muslim-majority countries as Turkey, Egypt, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia.

An important step towards addressing human rights violations by China

Over 100,000 Uyghurs have had to leave their homeland in search of safety and freedom and unfortunately, finding a safe haven that will accept them has proven difficult. Uyghurs face extreme discrimination in many countries they flee to due to their ethnic identity, and have been threatened by deportation to China, where they face the serious risk of detention in internment camps and other crimes against humanity.

In 2021, Canada’s Parliament voted overwhelmingly to declare China’s treatment of its Uyghur minority population a genocide. Despite this strong stance, no humanitarian intervention has been implemented for the Uyghurs and their plight has been forgotten in conversations about refugees. This oversight is especially troubling given that Canada’s 2022 immigration strategy for Asia highlighted the genocide of Uyghurs as a major priority. In response to Ottawa’s inaction, the Uyghur Rights Advocacy Project took Ottawa to the Federal Court in search of accountability for Canada violating its obligations under the United Nations Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide. Unfortunately, just this week the court has ruled that it does not have the authority to direct Canada’s foreign policy.

Let us not forget how little attention the Canadian government has paid to Huseyin Celil’s case, a Uyghur Canadian. Despite Amnesty International and Justice For All recognizing Celil as a prisoner of conscience, Canada has yet to return him to his family, who is still waiting for word on his well-being.

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Meanwhile, it is deeply troubling that Parliament has displayed such divisiveness over the nomination of the Special Representative on Combatting Islamophobia, who is intended to advise the government not only on Islamophobia in Canada, but also on transnational Islamophobia that underpins the persecution of Uyghur Muslims in China. Amira Elghawaby should be commemorated by Parliament if it is serious about fighting Islamophobia.

The Parliament’s unified front on motion M-62, thanks to MP Zuberi’s tireless efforts, is promising, and it should serve as a reminder of Canada’s commitment to worldwide respect for human rights, freedoms and justice. Going forward, we must continue to prioritize Canada’s responsibilities towards refugees and support efforts to challenge injustice wherever it may be found. We must uphold our values of compassion and justice through our immigration policies and ensure that we are providing assistance to those who need it the most. Only then can we truly demonstrate our commitment to protecting human rights, both at home and abroad.

Special to National Post

Taha Ghayyur is the executive director of Justice for All Canada, a human rights and advocacy organization.