Mr. Speaker, as the member would know, I cannot speak to specific cases with respect to citizenship and immigration issues, but I would like to respond in the following fashion.

All visitors to Canada must meet the requirements for temporary residence in Canada as set out in the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act. We understand that people are disappointed when their visa applications are refused; however, our responsibility is to make sure that all visitors meet the requirements to come to Canada as set out in Canada's immigration law.

I listened to the member opposite and I have to disagree wholeheartedly with her comment that our government is not showing compassion with respect to the Syrian people or the Syrian situation. The Government of Canada is deeply concerned about the crisis in Syria and will continue to do what it can to best help the Syrian people.

Canada is one of the world's largest providers of humanitarian aid to Syrian refugees. The member should know that to date Canada has committed more than $630 million in humanitarian development and security assistance to the Syrian crisis.

Canada has one of the most generous refugee policies in the world. We welcome about one out of every ten of all resettled refugees globally and are consistently among the top three countries accepting resettled refugees.

In response to the June 2013 UNHCR appeal for assistance with extremely vulnerable cases, Canada committed to resettling 1,300 Syrian refugees by the end of 2014: 200 refugees through the government-assisted refugees program, GAR, and 1,100 through the private sponsorship of refugees program. Canada is on track to meet its commitment to resettle these refugees through the government-assisted refugee program by the end of 2014.

In the time I have left, let me share a personal story.

In the month of January 2014, along with some colleagues from the governing party, I had an opportunity to visit Jordan. While we were there, we took the opportunity to visit a northeastern crossing of the border of Jordan with Syria.

While we were there, we were welcomed by Brigadier-General Hussein Al-Zyoud of the Jordanian Armed Forces, who was showing us the refugee resettlement camp that bordered the Syrian border. It was by chance, and I would like to say by fortune, for us to be there, because we had an opportunity to witness something very moving.

We saw about 150 Syrian refugees within 20 minutes of our arrival coming through the desert after having walked three days in the desert to this crossing point. Most of them were women and children. There were some gentlemen there, but older gentlemen. We assumed the fathers had stayed back to defend the family properties or had met with some misfortune. However, the women and children came to us. They were so happy to come and see that they had finally arrived in a place of safety. This is what was really moving for us as Canadians and Canadian parliamentarians.

Colonel Lawrence Zaporzan of the Canadian Armed Forces was there with us, and along with Brigadier-General Hussein Al-Zyoud he showed us the impact of Canada's investment in helping the Syrian people. They actually showed us the equipment and the maintenance plan moving forward.

Therefore, as a Canadian parliamentarian, I have to say that I am very proud of the action that our government has taken and will continue to take to support the plight of the Syrian people.

Costas Menegakis

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Adjournment Proceedings

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