Syrian refugees should be accepted to Canada: immigration group

The pictures of drownedchildren broke our hearts and brought home the plight of Syrians desperate to escape the crushing violence in their war-torn country, leaving many Canadians to ask what they can do to help with the refugee crisis.

Gerry Mills, operations director for theImmigration Services Association of Nova Scotia (ISANS)says theCanadian government mustopen its doors to larger numbers of Syrianrefugees in the same way the country responded to the Kosovo and Vietnamese refugee crises.

"We know that(Immigration) Minister Alexander has gone back to Ottawa today. We'rehoping he is going to be announcing a different responsefrom the federal government,"Mills said Thursday.

Grassroots sponsorship, from individuals, families and groups, is a time-honoured method of helping to bringing refugees to Canada but ittakes too long, she said.

Sponsorship too lengthy

"Right now, the process is so lengthy that it can take a year or two for that to happen. What we are hoping is going to happen is that processis going to be sped up and then we can appeal to community members to help. We're waiting for that to take place right now," said Mills.

The immigrant services group is hopeful there will be an announcement from Ottawa very soon.

"What we would also like to see is the federal government sponsoring refugees, not just community groups. I think we, as a country,we wantour government to take a lead in this. I think community groups can play a significant role, but the federal government needs to lead this byexample," Mills said.

"They sponsor right now 200 (refugees in total) into the province of Nova Scotia. We want to see that significantly changed."

The association is also urging the federal government to reach out as it did in past refugee crises, evacuating thousands ofKosovarsin 1999and Vietnamese in 1979-1980, and issuing temporary permits for them to stay in the country.

'We can do better'

"We need a response, we need action. We can do better than this. We are better than this as a country. We want the federal government to leadthis," Mills said.

International aid organizations, such as The Red Cross, Oxfam, World Vision and The United Nations Refugee Agency, are also asking for donations to help Syrians fleeing the conflict, now in its fifth year.

People in the province can also donate to the cause via ISANS'website, Mills said.

"We have a donate button on ourwebsite. You can actually identify that it is to the refugee emergency fund," she said.

The Canadian Council of Churches also favours sponsorship of Syrian refugees, presidentAlysonBarnett-Cowansaid.

Churches under the national umbrella organization are known for providing aid that way, she said.

She advised individuals who are eager to help out to contact regional dioceses to inquire about opportunities, as well as the Syrian Orthodox Church.