NDP Statement for World Refugee Day 2024

NDP critic for Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship MP Jenny Kwan (Vancouver East) made the following statement:

“Today on World Refugee Day, we must remember those who are forced to leave everything behind to seek safety.
Under persecution, people are forced to leave their families, their homes and travel under dangerous conditions and great distances to search for a safer life.
By the end of 2023, over 110 million people were forcibly displaced worldwide, fleeing violence, economic hardship, and climate disaster.
In June, New Democrats successfully blocked changes to Canada’s asylum system that the Liberals tried to sneak into an omnibus budget bill. The Liberal proposal would have made it more difficult to seek asylum in Canada and easier for the government to deport asylum seekers. This is plain wrong.
New Democrats also pushed this government to take more refugees from the Gaza and Sudan and reunite family members. Unacceptable delays and bureaucratic barriers in both programs have prevented family members of Canadians from reuniting in safety.
New Democrats believe we all need to work together to find solutions to root causes of the global forced displacement crisis and ensure Canada remains a safe place for those fleeing persecution and seeking a better life by investing in social housing, health care and newcomer services."