A Syrian refugee family was greeted by hateful words written on the fence outside their home on Tuesday.
They said this isn’t the first time their family had been targeted and it’s not the first time for other refugee families in Winnipeg either.
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Omar Rahimi is a former refugee who fled to Winnipeg 16 years ago. He said his family still faces racism almost every day.
“We were walking in Superstore [and] people walking up to us, to my mom, they telling her go back to your country just because she’s wearing a scarf,” Rahimi said.
Rahimi said the hateful words written on the fence, including ‘go back to your country’ and ‘leave Canada’ are just a few of the examples many refugees face when they come to Canada.
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“If you know what’s happening, maybe you don’t tell them to go back to their country because they have no country left,” Rahimi said.
He said most Syrians have lost everything and he doesn’t understand why newcomers continue to be the targets.
However while they’ve experienced hate, he said they’ve also experienced a lot of kindness.
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“So many people been contacting us yesterday and today and showing their support,” Rahimi said.
Some people in Winnipeg’s Syrian refugee community said they’re unsure whether they should share their struggle. They’re worried it could be misunderstood and take away from the gratitude they have for Canada for taking them in.
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