Ottawa, ON – Today, Garnett Genuis, Conservative Candidate for Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan, and Dave Hayer, Conservative Candidate for Fleetwood—Port Kells, released the following statement about the Conservative Party’s plan to reform the refugee system and enhance public safety in our communities:
“Newcomers to Canada strengthen the social and cultural fabric of our nation. Canada welcomes many refugees every year, and evidence shows that privately sponsored refugees, that is refugees sponsored by community-based organizations, charities, and non-profits accredited by Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada, tend to succeed more than publicly sponsored refugees. However, private sponsorship is limited.
“Canada’s Conservatives will address this structural incoherence that hurts refugees. We will replace most government-assisted refugee placements with more private and joint sponsorship places, accepting at least as many refugees, but helping them succeed in Canada by ensuring that they are welcomed by a local community. This will revolutionize the experience of these mission-driven and compassionate organizations engaged in private refugee sponsorship.
“We will also prioritize support to the most vulnerable, support a new and specialized ‘human rights defender’ stream, and support LGBTQ+ communities when it comes to financial allocations for joint sponsorships. Conservatives will also work to reduce red tape for private sponsoring organizations.
“Canada’s Conservatives also have a plan to make our communities safer. Recognizing the cross-border dimensions of many domestic crimes, our plan to secure public safety includes getting tough on domestic violence, tackling human trafficking and sexual exploitation, and combating gun and gang violence.” (katarinahomolova@conservative.ca)
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