(date)

The Honourable Jason Kenney, P.C., M.P.
Minister for Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism
Citizenship and Immigration Canada
Ottawa, Ontario, K1A 1L1

AND

The Right Honourable Stephen Harper, Prime Minister of Canada
House of Commons
Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0A6

Dear Minister (or Dear Prime Minister),

Points to include in your letter:

- underline the scale of the crisis facing refugees from Iraq and the need for Canada to do more.

- urge the government to support the increased resettlement of refugees from Iraq, including Palestinians who are particularly vulnerable (give examples: lack of status, severe economic hardship, poor camps conditions, access to services, health problems, etc.)

- ways that the government can support resettlement efforts:

• Increase overall resettlement targets (for both government- assisted and privately sponsored refugees) so that there can be a significant increase in numbers of Iraqi refugees resettled to Canada, without reducing the number of refugees resettled from other regions.
• Expedite the processing of Iraqi refugees being resettled to Canada, including the security checks.
• Respond positively to UNHCR referrals for resettlement of Palestinian refugees in the border camps between Iraq and Syria, including the camps at Al Hol, Al Tanf and Al Waleed.
• Allocate additional resources to Canada’s Damascus mission.

- include a copy of the CCR’s call to the government with respect to the Iraqi refugee crisis.  This is available for downloading and printing at: http://www.ccrweb.ca/documents/iraqicall.pdf

- mention that this call and further information, including the report from a recent international delegation to refugee camps on the Iraq-Syria border, is available on the Canadian Council for Refugees’ website at: http://ccrweb.ca/iraq.htm

Yours sincerely,

 

(your name)