Faith groups lead efforts to resettle Syrian refugees

Faith groups feel a moral obligation tolead theefforts to bring refugees to Canada because of thecomplex application process that is leaving vulnerable people in desperate situations far too long, three religious leaders said during a discussion on Ottawa Morning on Wednesday.

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Anthony Bailey,the pastor at Parkdale United Church, is part of a church group that has beentrying to bring a Syrian family of six to Canada from a refugee camp in Jordan for a year and a half.

"The application process is very complex and the government has changed the form a number of times. Some very minuscule changes but when that happens you have to repeat the process all over again," he said.

The United NationsHigh Commissioner for Refugees says that four million Syrians have already fled the country, and that another7.6 million peopleare displaced inside Syria.

In January, the Conservativegovernment pledged to resettle10,000 Syrian refugees over the next three years, on top of an earlier commitment of 1,300. So far, the government said Canada hastaken in nearly 2,500Syrian refugees.

Less than one thirdofthe Syrian refugees resettled in Canada did so with government assistance while the rest relied on private sponsorship such as church groups.

The processing time for completed privately sponsored refugee applications is 11 months in Lebanon, 19 months in Jordan and 45 months in Turkey, according to the Government of Canada.

The will is there from big city mayors and premiers to resettle more refugees butthere arejurisdictional challenges because it's afederal responsibility.

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'We can't waste time'

The plight of Syrian refugees became the focus of the federal election campaign last week when the body of a three-year-old Syrian boy washed up on a Turkish beach after his family's failed attempt to reach Greece.

NDP Leader TomMulcairsaid that if he forms government, hewould bring 10,000 Syrians to Canada by the end of this year and another 46,000 government-sponsored refugeesby 2019. Liberal Leader JustinTrudeausaid that if he forms the government, hewould accept 25,000 refugees by January2016.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper, running for re-election as Conservative leader, has maintained that refugees must be properlyscreened before being resettled in Canada, especially those from countries where extremist organizations operate, such as Syria and Iraq.

As faith leaders, we have that prophetic impulse to call out to the leadership, hold their feet to the fire and say, "This is what a nation does."- RabbiLizBolton

TerrencePrendergast,the Catholic Church's Archbishop of Ottawa, said the lack of response is disappointing at a time when swift action is needed.

"It's our particular problem in Canada that we're right in the middle of an election campaign and I guess the government can't really take these steps or is unwilling to but I think they should,"Prendergastsaid.

"The election is over a month away, still ... We can't waste time. This is too important and I think we need to say, 'Let's get with it.'"

Liz Bolton, the rabbi for the Or Haneshamah Reconstructionist Jewish community, said she is left wondering if the federal government is willing to help Syrian refugees.

"Because we know that the government is able and we know that the people of this country want this government to welcome folks from the Middle East who are being afflicted by unbearable conditions in their country," Bolton said.

"As faith leaders, we have that prophetic impulse to call out to the leadership, hold their feet to the fire and say, 'This is what a nation does.'"