erinrefugeeaction.ca

ERA needs your support by contacting our Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada.

HOW TO DO IT:

  1. Create a new email and add: minister@cic.gc.ca in the TO section of your email.
  2. In the CC section of your email add:
    • justin.trudeau@parl.gc.ca
    • melanie.joly@parl.gc.ca
    • ahmed.hussen@parl.gc.ca
    • NOTE-we are copying the Prime Minister, Minister of Foreign Affairs and the Minister of International Development.
  3. We suggest the SUBJECT: URGENT! Erin group ready to receive Beirut refugees. Or you can customize your own subject line.
  4. Copy the body of the letter below.
  5. Paste the body of the letter on your email.
  6. If you wish to add something, add it to your email.
  7. Sign with your name and address.
  8. SEND! Thank you!!!!!

LETTER:

The Honourable Marc Miller, P.C., M.P.

Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada

House of Commons

Ottawa, ON

K1A 0A6

URGENT

Dear Honourable Minister Marc Miller,

I am a supporter of a community group called Erin Refugee Action located in the Town of Erin in the Wellington-Halton Hills riding. This group has been working as a private sponsorship group under a Sponsorship Agreement Holder (the Anglican Diocese of Niagara) since 2016. So far, this group has successfully settled 4 refugee families from Syria and Afghanistan, the most recent in 2023.

At the end of August, ERA submitted two more applications to sponsor Syrian refugees living in Beirut, Lebanon. These detailed applications were formally received by IRCC on September 21st. 2024. The applications are for the Naasan family; Mom, Dad and two daughters ages 10 and 5 years and an application for a dependent grandmother who lives with them.

Their living circumstances in Beirut have been desperate as there is no work and there is systemic discrimination against Syrian refugees. With the escalation of war in Lebanon their circumstances are much worse. 

Last week, due to the threat of bombing, they evacuated their two-room apartment in South Beirut where they had been living for the past 10 years. After evacuating they were able to secure temporary accommodations with another family but there is bombing all around them. It’s not safe and they may have to move again at any time. The children cannot eat or sleep from the emotional stress of the bombing. The grandmother needs medication, which is impossible to access.

ERA was able to send them some money from their emergency fund. That is how they are surviving now. 

But there could be a solution. With the help of this sponsorship group and the Naasan’s family members living here, there are resources ready to help them settle in Canada now. ERA has the funds, the experience, and the resources to settle them immediately.

So, we are supporting Erin Refugee Action with two urgent requests:

  1. Canada needs to increase the refugee application staffing resources in Ottawa as well as the embassy in Lebanon to help expedite the nearly 800 refugee applications on file for families and their children desperate to escape to safety as the war intensifies.
  2. An emergency evacuation for the Naasans, on humanitarian grounds, while their applications are being processed. The normal 30 month wait, which is already unreasonably long, could be catastrophic for this family. They have a very strong case and from ERA’s past experience, we are very confident that their application will eventually be approved. 

Housing and a supportive community are ready to receive them and get them on their way to rebuilding their lives.

We need your strong leadership to help us advocate for refugees during this time of crisis.

Thank you for considering this urgent requests.

Yours sincerely,

(YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS)

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