Official Opposition statement on World Refugee Day

NDP Critic for Citizenship and Immigration Lysane Blanchette-Lamothe (Pierrefonds – Dollard) made the following statement on World Refugee Day:

“On this World Refugee Day, the New Democratic Party joins all Canadians in acknowledging the sacrifices and courage of refugees around the world.

“The number of individuals displaced due to conflict and persecution has doubled over the last decade, necessitating urgent action. Almost half of these refugees are under the age of 18.

“In Syria alone, more than 2.4 million people have been forced to leave the country due to the current conflict. Canada can and should be doing more to help these vulnerable individuals.

“No matter where we are born, we all aspire to live good lives, work hard and raise our families in peace and security.

“With the help of the international community, we should be furthering our efforts to prevent and resolve conflicts, and to fight the persecution that has affected all-too-many individuals around the world.”