Sri Lankan Refugees Should be Processed, Welcomed

(Aired on August 13, 2010)

"Turn them around."  That's what some people are saying about the 490-or-so Tamils who arrived on our shores this week.  "You can't just show up in a ship and expect to be welcomed in Canada."

Well, it's a little more complicated than that.  In fact, you can just show up and expect to be welcomed - that's what being a refugee is all about.  A lot of Tamils are interested in getting out of Sri Lanka, especially since the end of the country's civil war last year.  The Tamil people are the minority, many of them are displaced within the country, and more claim they are oppressed by the majority ethnic group.

Whether or not they have legitimate refugee claims will have to be decided on a case-by-case basis.  As in most refugee cases, this won't be easy, and it is complicated by the fact that the Tamil Tigers are recognized as a terrorist organization by our government.  Each of the refugee claimants will have to be individually checked.

It's a sign of the times that the government is being so careful with the Tamil ship docked at CFB Esquimalt.  Not that it shouldn't be careful - it absolutely should.  But there was a time when security wasn't the number one concern.  There was a time when we would simply be proud that we have created a country that is the first one to come to mind for people throughout the world when they are in trouble.  It's like being the most reliable one in your group of friends.  It may be a lot of work, but it's pretty gratifying.

Reputable sources say Canada is home to the most Tamils in the world, outside of Sri Lanka itself.  Our multi-culturalism should still be a point of pride, and something we encourage and strongly protect - almost as strongly as we protect our borders.