Obiter Dicta Issue 2 - September 14, 2015 | Page 15

NEWS Monday, September 14, 2015   15 Refugee crisis » continued from cover complexities involved in refugee applications from Turkey,” the Ottawa Citizen reports. Citizenship and Immigration Canada, however, says it never received a refugee application for that particular family, though it did receive an application for Abdullah and Tima’s brother, Mohammed. That application was rejected as incomplete. Chris Alexander, Minister of Citizenship and Immigration, said he received and read a personal letter from Tima Kurdi pleading on behalf of Mohammed’s application. As more contradictory facts emerge regarding the Kurdi family’s application, it becomes clear that Syrian refugees face extremely onerous complexities and red tape, especially those attempting to leave from Turkey. The Ottawa Citizen reports that there is a backlog of Syrian refugees in Turkey trying to escape to Canada. Kurds routinely face extreme discrimination in Syria, including the arbitrary denial of documents such as passports, which prevents them from either registering as refugees with the UN or applying for the necessary exit visas to leave Turkey. Without correct paperwork, their ability to file for refugee status in host countries is severely impaired. Entry into Canada is almost impossible for those missing this crucial paperwork; since Canada’s refugee policy has been tightened, there are few other options for hopeful refugees. The Canadian Council for Refugees is pushing for Immigration Canada to implement temporary measures which would allow Syrians with family in Canada to be allowed entry in order to process their applications for immigration in safety. With legal channels effectively barred, growing numbers of desperate refugees are fleeing Syria throu