Why take refugees?

Abstract

The Assistant Deputy Minister declared that "[t]he condition of Armenians is pitiable in the extreme and must arouse the sympathy of every thinking person," but he still advised against Canada accepting Armenians carrying a League of Nations travel document, because there would be no state to which Canada could deport any refugees who proved undesirable. "If European States," he argued, "who are now burdened with a surplus of refugees belonging to the class that would be useful to us in Canada, want us to offer relief by taking some of the refugees, they in turn must be prepared to assume responsibility for the return of the misfits."(1) The enduring dilemma for refugees is evident here: no state seems to want to assume responsibility for protecting them simply because they are human beings in need of protection. This dilemma is inevitable as long as states take a narrow view of their interests. There are plenty of reasons why a state may find accepting refugees good for the country. Hundreds of thousands of refugees have had doors opened to them because they filled a gap in the labour market, or helped to address demographic challenges or buttressed an ideological argument by fleeing a political enemy. Individual refugees have been offered a new home because of their talents as artists, scientists or athletes, or because they bring with them significant personal wealth. But where do these rationales leave refugees who do not promise to contribute to the economic, political or cultural interests of the receiving state? Canada has a number of advantages when it comes to welcoming refugees. Our geographical location means that few of the world's refugees can get here and our generosity has never been taxed (although the way some people talk, one might think that a few thousand refugees in Canada somehow test our limits, while other countries accommodate hundreds of thousands and even millions). As a country of immigrants, Canada is used to integrating newcomers and most Canadians take it for granted that bringing in people born elsewhere is good for the country. Many Canadians remember that they themselves or their ancestors came to Canada as refugees and thus know from personal experience the value of opening one's doors to people in need. We are also one of the richest countries in the world and can easily afford to treat refugees fairly. In terms of policy, we have moved on from the days when Armenians were rejected based on narrow self-interest: there is now a humanitarian category of immigration, translating a commitment to admit at least some people based on their need rather than Canada's.