Volunteer Research Entries
By Neerav Mullur
[Version française à venir]
In the last year, the European continent has endured countless conflicts, and continues to endure such conflicts today. After the Russian invasion of Ukraine, millions of Ukrainians were suddenly faced with the alarming question of where they could live in safety. Many turned to Turkey, a western European country, that opened its borders to Ukrainian refugees. Turkey also welcomed millions of refugees from other areas, namely Syria and Afghanistan. The devastating earthquake that rocked regions of Turkey and Syria, is the latest hurdle to overcome, for millions of refugees that sought safety within the borders of Turkey.
Heart-wrenching information comes out of Turkey, as refugees of Ukraine and Syria report countless deaths of their family members, friends, neighbours, and the unfortunate lack of help that they are being provided. National and international aid is being given to those in Turkey, but unfortunately it is not enough. It simply is not enough to ask regions of millions of people, trapped under rubble, incapacitated by the grief of losing loved ones, to wait days for a response. It is in these times that we must call upon the countries of the world, irrespective of their political relationships, to assist citizens of a country under humanitarian crisis.
Such a situation opens the question of a nation’s responsibility regarding those seeking refuge from climate change. It has happened before, after the 2010 earthquake in Haiti, where Canada accepted refugees, but with climate change becoming a growing issue, the new question is whether Canada will routinely accept climate change refugees. While difficult, welcoming refugees from Syria and Turkey, who may have been impacted not only by this earthquake, but by war, is something within Canada’s means. Canada can leverage the current infrastructure to put through a greater number of immigration applications, including bringing back retired VISA officers to process excess applications. By reaching out to refugee allyship groups, the government can help ensure less turbulent transitions for refugees, by enlisting the help of those who have experience with such situations.
This humanitarian crisis has shed some light on the growing problem of how to best assist those displaced by humanitarian crises, especially considering those who have been displaced previously. As climate change continues to become a larger issue, this is a decision that governments everywhere, must consider.
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