Question Period Note: Displaced Populations – Yazidis

On October 25, 2016, the House of Commons voted unanimously to provide protection to Yazidi women and girls who are escaping genocide.

• The Government has now welcomed more than 1,400 survivors of Daesh and their family members, including vulnerable Yazidi women and children.

• Yazidi families in Canada are generally integrating well and are showing increased independence in their daily lives. However, there are many who continue to struggle, which is exacerbated by continued separation from family members.

• In recognition of this, this Government recently approved additional measures that will facilitate the resettlement of up to 250 more family members and extended family members of Yazidis who have already been resettled in Canada.

• Facilitating family reunification for this group will help support their integration in Canada by reuniting families and extended families fractured by genocide, while also helping their family still in Iraq who are sometimes isolated and in a challenging situation.

• In response to atrocities committed by Daesh, in particular against women and children in Northern Iraq, the Government of Canada made a commitment to resettle approximately 1,200 survivors of Daesh, including Yazidi women and girls, by the end of 2017.

As of January 31, 2021, Canada has now welcomed more than 1,400 survivors of Daesh, including 1,356 (1,149 Yazidi women and girls) government-assisted and 94 (all Yazidi women and girls) privately sponsored survivors. This includes 25 (In potential visas) One Year Window applications.

• Estimating the size of the survivors of Daesh population left in Iraq is difficult because the areas they inhabit frequently experience conflict. Estimates of the size of the Yazidi population remaining in Iraq vary significantly and could be up to 500,000.

• $21.7 million of funding in Budget 2017 was allocated for this initiative. Two-thirds of the funding are being used for income support, the Interim Federal Health Program, and settlement supports.

Family reunification

• The Department continued efforts to reunite children and spouses with their family members already in Canada under the one-year window of opportunity, and prioritize the private sponsorship of refugees who fall within this vulnerable group. The one-year window of opportunity is a provision under section 141 of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations which allow immediate family members who could not travel with family being resettled to Canada (e.g. due to captivity) to join them without a full re-application, so long as they become available to travel within one year of their family arriving in Canada.

• Many survivors of Daesh who travelled to Canada have some immediate family members who are still in captivity or missing. This has delayed family reunification beyond the one-year window. In light of the unique challenges faced by this population, the Government implemented a temporary public policy which:

o extended the one-year window to December 31, 2020, for immediate family members of those resettled under the Government’s original commitment; and
o allowed the resettlement of minor de facto dependents under the one-year window of opportunity provision where a Best Interest Determination conducted by the United Nations Refugee Agency results in a recommendation for reunification with family in Canada.

• Despite these efforts, very few benefitted from the public policy because they did not meet the definition of a family member as specified in subsection 1(3) of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations. Also very few applied as de facto dependents.

• Many of those who were resettled to Canada endured severe sexual abuse and torture by their captors prior to arriving in Canada and continue to struggle with trauma and day-to-day functioning. Many of them could not benefit, for various reasons, from having their family members and extended family members join them under the first or the second public policy.

• In light of this, a new public policy was recently approved that will facilitate the resettlement of up to 250 more family members and extended family members of Yazidis who have already been resettled in Canada.

• Facilitating family reunification, including beyond the traditional family unit for this population – in particular, for those women who have lost immediate family members – would support their emotional and mental well-being.

• This new temporary public policy will end on December 31, 2022, or once the Department has received applications for permanent residence for up to 250 foreign nationals, whichever comes first.

Resettlement supports to Survivors of Daesh in Canada

• This is a highly vulnerable group who has experienced significant trauma. They have high medical and mental health needs and required specialized supports once in Canada.

• Prior to each individual’s arrival in Canada, Panel Physicians from the International Organization for Migration conducted a resettlement needs assessment, in order to assist the Department in identifying appropriate destinations in Canada and ensuring that required support services were available upon arrival.

• Individuals resettled under this initiative have been primarily located in Toronto, London, Winnipeg and Calgary. These cities were chosen following comprehensive consultations with stakeholders to identify where existing Yazidi communities were established and where adequate support services, including medical and psycho-social services and interpreters, were in place.

• Once in Canada, Survivors of Daesh received support from the Government of Canada’s Resettlement Assistance Program, including financial support in the way of both a one-time start-up allowance and monthly income support for up to 12 months. In some circumstances, monthly income support was extended to 24 months.

• The Resettlement Assistance Program also provided Survivors of Daesh with immediate and essential services delivered by service provider organizations. These services included port of entry and reception services; temporary housing and assistance locating permanent housing; needs assessments and referrals; orientation on finances and life skills; and links to federal and provincial programs.

• Like all permanent residents in Canada, Survivors of Daesh receive coverage for health care services through provincial insurance plans. As part of this, they are eligible for publicly-funded mental health supports through licensed psychiatrists, mental health hospitals, specialized refugee clinics, and even family physicians.

• While receiving federal income support, Survivors of Daesh were also eligible beneficiaries under the Interim Federal Health Program. To supplement provincial health insurance plans, the Government made available extended health and prescription drug benefits up to a year post-arrival, including coverage for a range of mental health services provided by psychotherapists, psychologists, counsellors and social workers, as well as interpretation services during assessment and treatment sessions.

• Survivors of Daesh are directly supported by service provider organizations funded by Department to ensure that they are linked into the provincial healthcare and health sector. Departmental staff in the communities of destination meet regularly with the clinics, provincial officials, settlement agencies and other key partners (e.g., school boards/divisions) to ensure that an appropriate continuum of care is in place for these clients.

• Under the Settlement Program, IRCC funds health and mental health promotion and well-being activities for newcomers and builds partnerships with stakeholders in the health sector to identify the best methods for assisting immigrants and families as they settle in Canada. Projects funded include:
o In Winnipeg, Manitoba, the Aurora Family Therapy Centre implemented a Centralized Psycho-Social Settlement Needs Assessment program specifically for the Yazidi initiative. This projects has since been expanded and is now used for all refugees after arrival in Winnipeg.
o The Immigrant and Refugee Mental Health Project, developed by the Centre and funded by the Department, offers online training, tools and resources to settlement, social and health service professionals working with immigrants and refugees. Over 7,000 settlement workers and health professionals across Canada have enrolled in these online interactive courses

• The Department also developed a Yazidi population profile detailing demographic, health and cultural considerations of this vulnerable population to assist service provider organizations with the settlement and integration needs of this population.

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