As the refugee crisis in Europe threatens to boil over, a Prince George group wants to make a dent in the problem from over 10 thousand kilometres away.
PG Citizens for Syrian Refugee Support is in its formative stages, but has seen membership balloon over the past several days.
Founder NJ Baker says the group is exploring fundraising and sponsorship options, while reaching out to politicians, the red cross, and families who have sponsored refugees in the past.
“Whether it’s to sponsor a family, or to sponsor a few families, we need more talented, energetic people, and I have no doubt that many of the people who are going through this terrible experience are energetic and competent, and perhaps would like to live up here with us,” says Baker, a former resident of Hungary herself.
After losing everything in last year’s Westwood Drive apartment fire, Baker was floored by the support of the community.
“We actually had to ask people to stop donating things,” exclaimed Baker, “That will never leave me. As I watch the news and see what’s been happening, I though Prince George can do something. Prince George has the kind of people that can do something.”
PG Citizens for Syrian Refugee Support has been put in contact with the Red Cross to examine potential next steps, while non-profit organizations like Lifeline Syria are making headlines in central Canada.
Toronto mayor John Tory is among a group donating $27,000 to privately sponsor and take responsibility for a family’s integration into Canadian society.
Baker says it’s efforts like Tory’s and the Europeans who have opened their arms to those running from danger that make the difference.
France’s President Francois Hollande is continuing to call for a coordinated EU response, and said the country would take 24,000 more refugees over two years.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel pledged 6 billion euros to help deal with the crisis, while an estimated 20,000 refugees flooded Germany over the weekend.
Iceland initially said it would accept a mere 50 asylum-seekers, but more than 11,000 families worked through a Facebook in an attempt to bring Syrian families to safety- no small feat considering Iceland has a population of a little more than 330,000.
As the outpouring of support continues, the Icelandic Prime Minister has announced the formation of a committee dedicated to re-assessing the number of asylum seekers Iceland will accept.
“Rules change, and rules change back because people put pressure on the government,” Baker firmly stated, “I’m old enough to remember the Boat People of Vietnam… I think Canada accepted something like 50-60,000 people within the space of a year. It was just a massive release effort that Canadians are very rightly proud of.”
The Federal Government overhauled the refugee system in 2012.
Some argue the changes have made it more difficult to apply for refugee status, while figures from the Canadian Council for Refugees show claims to the Immigration and Refugee Board have dropped by thousands since the reforms were passed.
“We have a history of being able to do this, but the rules have changed and it’s becoming much more a private or individual initiative, or private group’s initiative to sponsor refugees, rather than our government.”
But for every set of people hoping to send money or bring families over, there are those focusing on Canada’s issues first.
“We have people who don’t have jobs in Canada, we have homelessness in Canada, we have all of those things here in Prince George, I’m not denying any of that” says Baker, “But I’m sure I’m not alone in thinking if we are going to wait until things are perfect, then nothing is ever going to get done. Nothing is ever going to change.”
PG Citizens for Syrian Refugee Support is meeting at the Dreamland School of the Arts at 6:30 tonight, and welcomes anybody who wants to get involved to come to the meeting or check out its Facebook page.
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