Immigrants Working Centre in Hamilton

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Millions of people have been displaced since the Syrian crisis began 5 years ago. As more flee the country, more attention is being placed on support for refugees. Brittany Gogo looks at a settlement centre in Hamilton. It’s the second settlement centre visited this week and the consensus seems to be the same, that more needs to be done to help get Syrian refugees into the country.

Suad Khoshaba came to Canada with her family 4 years ago. “I am from Iraq. I was a refugee in Syria for 10 years. We are happy here. I see it as the best, safe country.”

The world has been moved by images showing thousands of refugees fleeing their country. And the picture of 3 year old Alan Kurdi, whose body washed up on a Turkish beach. But for Khoshaba, she’s seen much worse. “In my country every day, hundred of children have died. It makes me sad of course, but it’s not the first time for me. For 10 years I worked with refugees.” She helped refugees in Syria. “at that time, I was a refugee. My daughter is sick, my husband is sick. But still I can do something.”

The Immigrants Working Centre in Hamilton has helped her family to resettle in Canada, and the centre wants to help more refugees like them.

The city of Hamilton is holding an information session at City Hall later this month to educate people about what they can do to help Syrian refugees.

Ines Rios, the director of the centre, says they need more people to sponsor refugees. “Its a humanitarian crisis that we need to respond to so we can go to bed thinking that we have done a little bit.”
She says they have the capacity and willingness to accept more and she’s hopefull recent government funding announcements will help.

The information session will happen on September 20th in council chambers. It will be open to the public an community and church leaders. Its specifically about the situation in Syria and what Hamilton can do to help.