Canada could welcome 10,000 Uyghur refugees within two years
A Uyghur family in Hotan, Xinjiang region, China, 09/20/2018.
© AP Photo/Andy Wong
Text by: RFI Follow
1 min
Unanimously, all the deputies voted on Wednesday for a commitment to allow members of this Muslim minority in the Xinjiang region of China to find refuge on Canadian soil.
This measure could concern Uyghurs who live in countries such as Kyrgyzstan or Kazakhstan, Turkey or Pakistan but whose lives remain threatened by the Chinese neighbor.
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With our correspondent in Montreal,
Pascale Guéricolas
The government supports the commitment made by Canadian parliamentarians to welcome 10,000 Uyghurs.
The Ministry of Immigration must soon present a plan to elected officials which will detail the terms of their reception.
It was a deputy from the ruling party, Sameer Zaberi, who convinced his colleagues of the need to come to the aid of this oppressed minority.
“
It is sure that it will work, there is no question to ask.
We have already done this in the past.
Canada has a tradition of hospitality.
We can accomplish these kinds of things, even if it is difficult.
»
A member of a committee that defends human rights, Sameer Zaberi has often had the opportunity to hear testimonies from Uyghurs persecuted by the Chinese government.
Arzu Bugra, who lives in Montreal, has not heard from his family in China for five years.
The young woman of Uyghur origin recounts how, with other volunteers, she convinced parliamentarians to act.
“
We wrote them the news that happens in the concentration camps, on the Uyghur genocide, on forced labor, on women who are forcibly sterilized.
And at some point some deputies wrote to us.
That's how we were able to really contact them.
And MPs have become increasingly active.
»
Canadian organizations of Uyghur exiles will ensure that the Canadian government keeps its promises.
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