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Opinion: Sudbury MP concerned about 'misinformation' surrounding migration compact

Paul Lefebvre said he's proud the federal Liberals recently signed the UN document
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Sudbury MP Paul Lefebvre. (FIle)

Recently, in the spirit of France’s “Gilet Jaunes,” a handful of people gathered in downtown Sudbury to raise their concerns about various issues, including the United Nations Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration.

While I am generally pleased to see Canadians exercising their right to peacefully protest — a right that is denied many people all over the world — I am concerned about the campaign of misinformation that has grown around the Global Compact.

In fact, I am proud our government both contributed to its drafting and recently signed it, and I’d like to tell you why.

Beyond the wars of words in Ottawa and in social media, it’s important to keep one thing in mind: there are actual war zones all over the world, and the result of these conflicts is human refugees. People, in other words. The same kind of people who have been coming to Canada and Sudbury for more than a century.

Globally, the refugee population rose to 25.4 million at the end of 2017, the highest level since at least the Second World War, according to the UN refugee agency. Most of these stateless citizens live in tent cities … about half are children. The number of people who became refugees in 2017 grew by about 2.9 million people, the biggest annual increase on record.

The burden of dealing with this growing crisis has fallen on a handful on global partners, including Canada. Canada received about 50,000 refugee claimants last year, about double 2016 levels. That may seem like a lot, but consider Bangladesh attracts 50,000 new refugees in a typical day.

And that is why the Global Compact is so important. Around the world, Canada is recognized as a leader in welcoming and integrating immigrants thanks to a widespread understanding that when newcomers are given the tools to succeed, they help grow our economy. 

As a global leader, it makes sense for us to share our best practices with partner countries to make sure they have a system in place to help immigrants integrate and succeed. 

That is exactly what the Global Compact does. It provides a road map so other countries can share the responsibility of resettling the world’s most desperate citizens.

Critics of the Global Compact in Ottawa and on social media would have you believe Canada is giving away its sovereignty. That is a ridiculous interpretation.  In fact, the exact opposite is true. The net effect of the Global Compact will be to encourage other countries to aid Canada in resettling the 25 million stateless citizens, so they may benefit the same way Canada has for generations.

Bear in mind, these criticisms come at a time when more people are crossing into Canada from the United States seeking protection. The Global Compact will give other countries the tools to help Canada deal with this migration. It’s curious that opposition critics decry Canada’s border policies, and then decry efforts to enlist other countries to help us deal with it. 

Remember, the Global Compact is not legally binding. It is not a treaty. It is a declaration of principles to guide how nation states tackle challenges arising from human migration. It touches on all aspects of migration, including remittances, human trafficking and preparing for displacement caused by climate change.

It is designed to safeguard human rights and help countries manage borders effectively through international co-operation while respecting sovereignty. Countries remain free to manage their own immigration policies … and so will Canada.

Canada needs and values newcomers, and has one of the most effective and vigorous immigration systems anywhere in the world. Helping other countries share in our success is good for everybody, including Canadians.

Indeed, Sudbury and Canada have been built and shaped by immigrants. We are truly a community of immigrants, a proud mosaic of cultures, languages and religions that grows and changes daily.

I’m proud of Canada, I’m proud of our immigration system and I’m proud of our plan to share our successes with the rest of the world. As we enter this holiday season, I hope that you join me in celebrating this generosity of spirit and immense pride that Canadians project into the world.

Paul Lefebvre is the Liberal MP for Sudbury and parliamentary secretary to the Minister of Natural Resources.


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