Honor Thy Neighbour

They had no mercy
it was just a policy -- they said
of their government
this systematic destruction
of your homes, your language
your humanity

push you to the borders
stateless
without a hope

Canada
will take you in
land of the strong and free
yes – we know how you’ve paid for survival
with your blood, your love
your meaning

we want to help
with english classes and housing
and with finding jobs
for one year
one year
we can help

and just as you start to feel safe
to feel this place
could be where your family
has a future

we remind you of your promise
to pay us back

for your plane tickets
-- with interest --
for each child too
yes, we’ll need that money back

push you to the boundaries
of poverty
systematic destruction
of your opportunity, possibility
of your humanity
just a policy, you see
We have no mercy

***

Canada sponsors a small number of refugees each year who come from devastated countries where there has been severe loss through war, natural disaster or persecution for the people there. In fact, it is Canada's policy to identify and help those refugees who are *most* vulnerable, not simply those who will be able to "make it work" in Canada.

However, there is a policy dating back to WWII that requires that government-sponsored refugees pay back their airfare with interest. This burden is especially challenging for widows with large families or refugees with very little English or marketable skills trapped in low income jobs. (For example, many Burmese refugees lived in refugee camps in the jungle for twenty years before they came to Canada). These limitations, coupled with a fear of losing their status in my country, force refugee families to make decisions that compromise their quality of life and health.

Young teenagers focus on finding jobs to help their family instead of spending time on their studies. Mothers often work two jobs. One young man, now a leader in his community, shared how his family ate only one meal a day for many years to accomodate payments for this loan.

When asked why this "refugee transportation loan" policy exists, government representatives respond "over 90% of recipients pay back the loan, so we can't see there is a problem." Apparently, poverty, health issues, gang recruitment, low high school completion rates and food insecurity are not problems. And yet, many of these families have the determination and commitment to honor this oppressive loan repayment.

We are currently working to advocate for the removal of this refugee transportation policy loan. See this video clip of a news story in Edmonton for more information

(p.s. thanks to Hopper whose poetry in a similar form helped me create this piece)