Canada. Trudeau apologizes for the Italian-Canadians interned in the Second World War

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May 28, 2021 Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau formally apologized in parliament for the internment of Italian Canadians in World War II, acknowledging that hundreds of people were denied due process.

After Italy declared war on Canada in 1940, Ottawa imprisoned over 600 people of Italian origin and declared about 31,000 Italian-Canadians "enemy foreigners".

Trudeau recalled that those tagged in this way "were kept under control, forced to provide fingerprints and report once a month to local authorities." "To those men and women who were taken prisoner in labor camps or imprisoned without charge, to the people who are no longer with us to hear these excuses, to the tens of thousands of innocent Italian Canadians who were labeled as enemy aliens, to and to the grandchildren who brought the shame and wrong of the past generation, and to their community - a community that has given so much to our country - we apologize and say we are sorry, "he said.

"When this House of Commons declared war on Mussolini's fascist regime in Italy on June 10, 1940, Canada did not even declare war on Italian Canadians," he explained. "Fighting the fascist regime that stood with Nazi Germany was right but blaming the Italian-Canadians who respected the law was wrong," he added. The premier recalled that among those who were labeled as "enemy foreigners" were also the parents of Frank Iacobucci, a former judge of the Canadian Supreme Court. 

In 1988, the Canadian government apologized for the internment of over 22,000 Japanese-Canadians. About 1.6 million Italian Canadians live in Canada, among the largest Italian communities around the world.

Although the apology received the support of the House, there was no shortage of criticism. Some historians have warned of the risks of "rewriting history". They fear that, in an attempt to make amends, the government is acquitting some real fascists. Roberto Perin, professor emeritus of history at York University, said that in the 1930s and 1940s about 3,000 Canadians were members of the Italian Fascist party, including some inmates. The Liberal Party, however, replies that these were unjustified detentions: many were interned only for having donated to the Italian Red Cross. There was no fair trial, no one was given a chance to refute or present evidence. "Resisting the Italian regime sided with Nazi Germany was right.But it was not used as a scapegoat for law-abiding Italian Canadians. "

Conservative leader Erin O'Toole told the story of William Casanova, who was nine when police arrested his father at their home in Windsor. After nearly two years of internment, the man was released but died a few months later. "William wrote that his family lost their dignity, pride and financial stability. The mother never recovered from those events. The family came out destroyed":

The NDP leader Jagmeet Singh has called the actions of racist government, which also included withdrawing children from school and freezing bank accounts. "It was a system that was specially designed to keep people out of their rightful place in society," he said.

"Italy warmly thanks the Prime Minister of Canada, Justin Trudeau, for the formal apology to the Italian-Canadians for the treatment they suffered during the Second World War. We express our deep gratitude for the heartfelt words of solidarity and esteem offered by all the parliamentarians who attended. today in the House of Commons. " Thus the Undersecretary with responsibility for relations with the North American country, Benedetto Della Vedova, following the announcement made by Trudeau himself in his speech in the House of Commons.   

Following Italy's entry into the war against the Allies, the Canadian government at the time interned hundreds of people of Italian descent and declared tens of thousands of Italian Canadians "enemy foreigners", causing discrimination and suffering in the community. Della Vedova then expressed that he was proud "of the Italian-Canadian community and of the recognition offered to its contribution in the construction of the identity and success of the country", echoing the words of the Prime Minister who recalled how "Canadians of Italian descent they represent a valuable component of diversity that makes the country strong. Recognizing the historic mistake committed against the Italian-Canadian community, we also show our respect for its great contribution to the nation ".