Canada lawmakers urge government to resettle 10,000 Uyghurs from Türkiye

By Barry Ellsworth

TRENTON, Canada (AA) - Canada's lawmakers unanimously demanded Wednesday that the federal government bring to Canada 10,000 Uyghurs fleeing Chinese persecution.

The plan is to resettle the Uyghurs from Türkiye, where they have taken refuge.

Speaking to reporters from Parliament Hill, Liberal Member of Parliament Sameer Zuberi said the unanimous backing for a Uyghur refugee program by all federal political parties is paramount.

“This is an important moment today where we are standing together as one,” he said. “We have hard work to do ahead of us. We will do this work.”

Last June, Zuberi put the refugee proposal in motion, asking the Liberal government of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to draw up a plan to resettle 10,000 Uyghurs and others of Muslim Turkic origins who had fled China and were sheltered in Turkey. He said the deadline for the plan would be 100 days.

That deadline is May 12 and the refugee plan would start in 2024 and have the refugees settled here within two years.

There is a good chance of success as Trudeau also voted in favor of the plan.