PG Meeting Discusses Syrian Refugee Crisis
Around 40 concerned citizens attended last night’s meeting on Syrian refugees – photos 250 News
Prince George, B.C. – A lawyer, immigration experts, politicians, concerned citizens and even refugees themselves met in Prince George last night in what amounted to a brainstorming session on the Syrian refugee crisis.
Various ideas on how to bring refugees to Prince George were broached, be it via government channels or church groups, with one common theme: the need for money.
Talaat Bakri, a Syrian here on a student visa studying at UNBC
“It took an Iraqi family three months to come here and it cost $20,000,” said local immigration consultant Charles Scott.
The issue also raised the interest of local politicians, with Prince George City Councillor Brian Skakun noting council plans to bring forward a resolution at next week’s meeting.
“To bring to this month’s UBCM meeting so municipal governments can lobby Ottawa for help in dealing with the crisis.”
Talaat Bakri, a Syrian PhD student studying Environmental Sciences at UNBC, said the show of support warmed his heart.
“When I saw the meeting on Facebook it was very emotional for me and my wife to see people in Prince George interested and wanting to help Syrians,” he said.
But with Bakri’s mother and three sisters still in Syria, he said these are still stressful times.
“I have trouble sleeping, I’ve had trouble focusing on my work.”
So what did the meeting accomplish we asked meeting organizer NJ Baker.
“I think we now have a critical mass of people who are ready to help. It’s the first step toward coordinating some kind of action to have a local Prince George based support for Syrian refugees.”
She was also impressed roughly 40 people showed up to meet on short notice.
“You cast a net and you don’t know what you’ll catch so we’re very lucky to have the kind of turnout we had so now our responsibility is to take it further so we can use all this goodwill to really make a difference in various peoples lives.”
The group will meet again this Thursday at 7pm for a fundraising meeting at Books and Company.
Comments
So who decides how many? What about background checks, security? What was meant about 20 grand, they immigrated here right?
Many questions.
From the pictures I see on tv news these look like able bodied young men,,in my opinion they should be fighting for their country not fleeing it.
“…they should be fighting for their country…”
Please be more specific: On whose side?
We have had WW 1 and WW 2 .When countries were invaded did the people flee their countries back then?
You may decide perhaps to answer my question. You do know that the two significant factions which are fighting each other are ISIS and the Assad regime? What if these young men do not wish to join one or be drafted by the other one? Are either one worth dying for?
We have had WW 1 and WW 2 .When countries were invaded did the people flee their countries back then ? Yes! In the millions !
Holodomor . How short the memory of seven million people starved to death by stallin lasted . How many fled ? Millions .
He also had the help of Useful idiots .
It is heartening to see the response to the refugee crisis. I’m a Canadian as a result of my mother fleeing East Germany after WWII.
When my grandparents came here, there was little support for immigrants. They got them work on farms. Now if these “refugees” come, they should be put to work and not live off the system. Contribute to Canada. Become Canadian. Speak either English or French. Read English or French. Don’t ask us to sensor our holidays like Christmas. Don’t ask us to put up signs so you can read them like all that BS talk about changing traffic signs from a few months ago. Do all this, obey OUR laws and then you are welcome. If not, then don’t bother.
If there was no religion(s) this world would be a more manageable place.
If there was no religion, half this world wouldn’t exist as we know it.
What stitch said, X2.
Any true refugee would be willing to contribute to the society of the country that accepts them and if they are willing to participate in our democracy I say bring them on.
Future taxpayers always welcome!
metalman.
It must be wonderful to be so superior to everyone that you encounter that you can refer to everyone as “Useful Idiot”.
It’s such a shame that such superiority can not be shared!
I do NOT refer to all as useful idiots . Perhaps you should look up what the term infers . The supporters of Stevie that are not in the top ten percent of the one percent (economicly ) that Stevie serves are the ones that I am referring to . If one votes ideologically against ones own self interest unwittingly then those are whom I am referring to as Useful idiots . Thank fully they only constitute 39 % of Canadian population . That’s still a great deal of dummies . Where I live I have many neighbours that are mega rich . They vote in their own self interest . None of them have blue signs on their lawns . You can easily see who the dummies are . They are the ones with blue signs on their lawns .
“If there was no religion, half this world wouldn’t exist as we know it.”
Can you be more specific please. Some think the world is so good it cannot get any better, other think the world needs lots of improvement.
Perhaps you are talking about religion as a promoter of procreation. Without it we would have half the people living on this earth and everyone would be better off as a result since we would not have to face scarcity.
I am reminded of a quote from Forrest Gump…stupid is as stupid does!
Perhaps it could be reworded to incorporate the term useful idiots!
So to assume by the lack of a blue sign on the lawn that people are voting for anyone at all is a huge mistake and perhaps a sign of being just another of the Useful Idiots that you refer to!
The problem we have today, and one that did not exist during and after WW11, is that these immigrants are coming from an area full of radical terrorists who could embed themselves with others if we didn’t have a process for screening them.
In Paris and Germany, the refugees get free housing and benefits. They proceed to have 10 wives, each have 3-6 kids. The government can’t stop them from having many wives, they are protected under their muslim religious beliefs, so polygamy is tolerated and unavoidable. The avg refugee family can pull in upwards of 10k EURO a month, by doing nothing. Meanwhile the hard working taxpayers bend over, and take it.. while they are building keeping together a system that rewards … the refugees for …. nothing. They do not fit it, will not work, but will enjoy all the benefits of free society.
Coming to Canada will be like hitting the jackpot, they will soak the system to oblivion. Of course, most of you will refuse to accept this, you won’t google the social/economic problems in Europe.. you somehow think this is the refugees from 100 years ago that came to other countries and worked/contributed to their new home.
But hey, you all saw a picture of a dead kid, and now you are all ready to sacrifice Canada because of it. It’s funny how none of you ever walked by our own refugee camp, the local soup kitchen, and gave a crap about anything they needed. Perhaps all it would take is a young kid to die on the sidewalk?
All you bleeding hearts. Are you all signed up to welcome a refuge Syrian family into your home? (if you can even prove they are Syrian) Do you think Premier doe-eyes is going to welcome a family into her home with Hamish? Not bloody likely.
Where was the outpouring of angst 2, 3 or 4 years ago when all these millions of people were stuck in Turkey, Lebanon and Jordan? Your silence was indeed deafening.
On a side note… Who’s paying for all the cell network usage I’m curious? These refuges all seem to be able to use their smartphones no matter where they are.
‘On a side note… Who’s paying for all the cell network usage I’m curious? ‘ – I know, right?
‘Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free’ , and Iphones with extended data plans.
How do they charge their phones ? Maybe Allah is magic.
Bountiful BC .
When my grandparents came here, there was little support for immigrants. They got them work on farms. Now if these “refugees” come, they should be put to work and not live off the system. Contribute to Canada. Become Canadian. Speak either English or French. Read English or French. Don’t ask us to sensor our holidays like Christmas. Don’t ask us to put up signs so you can read them like all that BS talk about changing traffic signs from a few months ago. Do all this, obey OUR laws and then you are welcome. If not, then don’t bother.
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I work with a number of people who immigrated to Canada from Africa, Europe and Asia. Some are Christian, some are Muslim and some are not religious.
All of them are at least tri-lingual (including English and French) and they work in highly skilled jobs. They can all read perfectly well. They haven’t asked anyone to change their beliefs, they don’t expect anyone to accommodate theirs (other than how we would for any other Canadian) and they certainly haven’t asked anyone to change any traffic signs, LOL. To the best of my knowledge, they are also law abiding citizens and they haven’t tried to kill me or my family.
When I walk around Ottawa, I see and interact with thousands of people like this. People who own shops, people who own restaurants, people who operate garages, people who employ others, people who take the bus, people who laugh as their children play with others, people who attend college or university, people who are engaged in the community, people who vote.
Where the hell are you guys going where you run into all of these immigrants who are so upset to be here? Do you think that perhaps you are part of the problem? Do you actually walk around with your eyes open?
On cftk this eve . Blue elxn42 signs on hwy & private prop disappearing in skeena riding . Just a heads up 250.
No biggy , It’s happening across the country . Signs are going missing Every where . I guess it’s payback . The tradition of open debates has been destroyed . so what next ? At least the orange ,red and green ones match the land scape at this time of year .
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