Since Typhoon Haiyan (Yolanda) reached the Philippines a few weeks ago, I’ve received a number of emails from MP Jason Kenney and the Canadian government. I am not quite sure how they were able to get my email, but I assume my name was on their list of Filipino-Canadian voters. In each email (including the one I just shared in my last post), it announces what the Canadian government will do (or has done) to help the Philippines. The problem is that after I read them I get to wondering what exactly it is they are not doing.
The exponential growth of the Filipino-Canadian community in Winnipeg (and all of Canada for that matter) is a bragging point for our government and their stance on immigration. Yes, we are the largest immigrant group in the country to arrive under both permanent resident and work visas. But, when it comes to arriving on compassionate terms what happens to the Filipino refugee? Do you even know of any?
The 1951 United Nations Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees defines refugees as those
owing to a well-founded fear of being persecuted for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group, or political opinion, is outside the country of his nationality, and is unable to or, owing to such fear, is unwilling to avail himself of the protection of that country.
For those displaced by Typhoon Haiyan (Yolanda), it’s difficult to argue that they were persecuted for any of the above reasons. Their only fault really was that they lived near the ocean shore. Although Canada’s Immigration and Refugee Board has promised to expedite federal family-class applications from Filipinos affected by the typhoon, there is no mention that this help will also be offered to those without existing applications.
The International Organization for Migration (IOM) wants countries to consider offering those people help. The IOM defines “environmental migrants” :
as persons or groups of persons who, for compelling reasons of sudden or progressive changes in the environment that adversely affect their lives or living conditions, are obliged to leave their habitual homes, or choose to do so, either temporarily or permanently, and who move either within their country or abroad.
Moreover, the Global Governance Project defines “climate refugee” as migrants who are displaced
due to sudden or gradual alterations in the natural environment related to at least one of three impacts of climate change: sea-level rise, extreme weather events, and drought and water scarcity.
Clearly, the survivors of Typhoon Haiyan (Yolanda) must fit into either one of these definitions.
Sadly, Canada has yet to adopt either definition.
So, what now?
Attorney Reis Pagtakhan suggests that the Manitoba government get involved. He writes in the Winnipeg Free Press (11/15/2013):
What Manitoba should do is follow what Quebec did after the 2010 Haiti earthquake. Quebec set up flexible criteria to allow for some Haitians not covered by federal rules to immigrate to Quebec. Manitoba should work with Canada to create flexible criteria to allow people affected by the typhoon to be fast-tracked to Canada through the provincial nominee program. If individuals have already been approved by Manitoba up to this date, the Canadian government should fast-track these applicants.
It is true that the Provincial Nominee Program allows for Manitobans to provide an “Affidavit or Support” for in-laws, first-cousins, nieces and nephews, as well as immediate family members (like the Federal family-class). Sure, the Manitoba government can move to include parents and grandparents as part of this list (since the federal government has now limited such applications). There’s just one problem – the Province can nominate all the potential migrants it wants, but in the end it is the Federal government that can issue visas. They’ve already slowed down on that.
We’re back to square one.
If I could only hit “reply” the next time I received an email from Mr. Kenney so that he would listen, I would write him a short curt email to first say “thank you” (I am a polite Canadian after all) and then tell him to do more. Canada must take a hard look at its existing immigration policies to include those victimized by our own environment. It doesn’t matter how our community has grown or what immigration channels it took for us to arrive here. The fact of the matter is that we are a community of families divided. The nature of our changing climate will only serve to make this separation harder.
Further reading:
Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada
International Organisation for Migration
Reis Pagtakhan. “Bring Filipino refugees to Manitoba” WFP 11/15/2013
The Global Governance ProjectUNHCR
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