Press Release
Abier Mustafa
Sudanese Community Association of Ontario SCAON is focused on creating a sustainable system that will help evacuated Sudanese Canadians and Sudanese refugees in Ontario thrive. We understand that these individuals face unique challenges when they arrive in Canada, and we want to provide them with the support they need to succeed.
Many Sudanese- Canadian evacuees started to arrive in Canada a few days ago. Today, May 8, 2023, FOURTEEN FAMILIES will arrive at Pearson Airport around 9 pm. Most of these families are single mothers with Canadian children or children eligible for Canadian citizenship. They are either Canadian citizens, PR holders or on visitor visas and haven't been to Canada before. The visa holders may not be eligible for some government services, mainly shelter and income support. They have no shelter or place to go. We contacted the Central Intake, Red Cross and many other organizations to provide a one-night stay for those people, but no luck.
Housing governmental organizations told us that they don't have any instructions from the government to prioritize the Sudanese evacuee's application nor provide any aid for them.
I understand that the government has an emergency fund for these situations, and I would appreciate your help in solving the current situation.
For the last couple of weeks, we have been knocking on all doors that have any potential of bringing any level of support and relief to these families, and as a community, we are highly unified around the urgency of the situation, and we have a deep knowledge regarding the impact of the tragic trip from Sudan to Canada on these families, and that is the main reason of why we are so determined to carry on the effort of reaching out to all levels of our Canadian government (federal or provincial ) despite of the harsh reality of not getting any sufficient and tangible respond from our Canadian government.
SCAON Chairperson, Abier Mustafa, had some calls from officials in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, but they said they are not the right venue for the matter. Communication has been sent to all ministers that Ms. Mustafa met with the Sudanese Canadian Communities Association, such as Immigration Minister Sean Fraser, Global Affairs Minister Melanie Joly, Minister of Housing and Diversity and Inclusion Ahmed Hussen, and International Development Minister Harjit S. Sajjan.
I cannot stress enough about our need for temporary shelters for people coming today. I got another update from one of the evacuees that they will arrive late, along with the crew from CBC who have interviewed them in Kenya.
I am afraid that our community members feel ignored by their government, contrary to the help that had been put in place for Ukrainian.
Abier Mustafa
Chairperson
Sudanese Community Association of Ontario
الجالية السودانية بانتاريو
Tel: + 1 (416) 755-3552
Mob: +1 (226) 224-1699
2500 Lawrence Ave East |
Toronto ON | M1P 2R7
