HALIFAX — Two months ago, Nawris left Syria and moved to Nova Scotia. He spoke to Global News on the condition that we only use his first name, because the 23-year-old is fearful for his family, who is still trying to flee.
“It was a long process but I hold on because it was the only hope I had to complete my education,” said Nawris.
He left his home amid violence in southern Syria with his brother, sister and parents.
For the last four years, Syria has been entrenched in a civil war, one that has claimed the lives of more than 300,000 people. Nawris says many people don’t understand exactly what’s happening there.
“ISIS now is the most obvious thing. They are publishing their videos on the internet and showing the world what they are doing, but there are so many other complicated things. Like if you want to live in Syria, you have to carry an arm with you to defend yourself.”
The Syrian conflict has left more than four million people registered as refugees. The federal government says they are moving forward with bringing refugees to Canada before the end of the year.
“Bringing 25,000 Syrian refugees to Canada is the right thing to do for that part of the world in terms of helping to contribute to more stability,” said Scott Brison, President of the Treasury Board and a member of a newly established federal cabinet committee to bring Syrian refugees to the country.
Provincial officials say they are working closely with Canada’s new Immigration Minister to help bring additional refugees to Nova Scotia. The province doesn’t know how many refugees will be coming, but they are working with the federal government, which is exploring the possibility of using military bases to house them.
“Settlement, housing, accommodation, language, people will need interpretation, we will need to assess what work people, what credentials and education they have, there’s lots of work to do,” said Lena Diab, Nova Scotia Immigration Minister.
Non-profit groups estimate between 5-700 Syrian refugees could soon be calling our province home. Nawris is hoping his family, who is now living in three separate countries, will soon be reunited.
“I have a 9 year old sister, so she’s still in Lebanon with my mother and she can’t continue her education. I just feel so stressed all the time that they are still there and I hope that they may get the opportunity to come to Canada and rebuild their lives,” he said.
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