Sackville N.B. group says Paris attacks have not changed plans to sponsor Syrian refugee family

SACKVILLE, N.B. – The spokesman for the Sackville Refugee Response Coalition says the Paris terrorist attacks haven’t changed his group’s plans to bring a Syrian refugee family to New Brunswick.

Rev. John Perkin says they are people who need our help.

“This is one very tangible way where people can get involved and exercise their warm hearts and willing hands to be a very warm and welcoming community,” he said.

“Refugees are people trying to get away from horrible life circumstances.”

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The group includes members from Mount Allison University, local churches, individuals and service organizations. Members wants to raise $30,000 to sponsor a family in Sackville for a year.

Reports say one of the Paris attackers had a Syrian passport. Although the passport has been raising questions about Syrian refugees, a Mount Allison University political science professor says Canadians should not be worried.

James Devine says terrorist organizations would have a difficult time entering the country by posing as refugees.

“There’s over four million refugees outside of Syria right now and the odds of an ISIL (Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant) agent being able to move through that and get picked up by the U.N. (United Nations) and brought to the west is very, very low,” he said, noting not helping them could create more serious problems.

“What we’re doing is putting people in a very desperate situation and putting them in a situation where they’re more likely to be radicalised and recruited by groups like ISIL,” he said.