Arabnews24.ca:Friday 3 February 2023 05:03 PM: As It Happens7:01Canada's vow to take in 10,000 Uyghurs is not set in stone. But this MP is confident it will happen
Liberal MP Sameer Zuberi says he's confident Canada will make good on its pledge to resettle thousands of Uyghurs fleeing persecution in China.
The House of Commons voted unanimously Wednesday to approve Zuberi's non-binding private member's bill to bring 10,000 Uyghurs and other Muslims of Turkic origin to Canada.
Uyghurs are an ethnic minority who face widespread surveillance, discrimination and detention in China. Human rights organizations estimate that China has locked more than one million in detention camps, where the United Nations has reported allegations of torture and abuse.
Zuberi's motion would see Canada resettle Uyghurs who have already fled China and are waiting in limbo in third countries, like Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Egypt.
China denies mistreating Uyghurs. In response to Wednesday's motion, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning accused Canada of using Uyghurs "spreading false information and misleading the public."
Here is part of Zuberi's conversation with As It Happens host Ni Köksal.
[There was] unanimous support in the House, Sameer, for your motion. And that includes Immigration Minister Sean Fraser. But he has not explicitly committed to the numbers — 10,000 people over two years. Does that concern you?
No, definitely not. Not only did the minister of immigration vote in person yesterday, but the prime minister … voted for this motion to welcome 10,000 Uyghurs as of 2024 from third countries.
This is a historic moment for Canada and for the human family. What's happening towards the Uyghur people is unacceptable, and we have made a solemn promise to our country, to the House of Commons, to the international community that we will do our part to help people who are fleeing a grave and serious situation.
How quickly is it likely to happen, and how will it unfold?
The motion says that this will start as of 2024 for over two years to welcome 10,000 people. I personally would like to see it as soon as possible.
MP says ‘Canada is meeting the moment’ as Parliament votes to support the relocation of 10,000 Uyghurs
Duration 1:15
We've had conversations on this program more than once with people who have friends and loved ones [detained or missing] in China ... and we've certainly reported on the persecution Uyghurs are facing inside China — mass detentions, torture, forced labour and sterilization.
But you're looking at people who've managed to escape China. So why do you feel it's so urgent that they come to this country?
There was a recent Wilson Centre report that said that over the last nearly 20 years, 1,574 Uyghurs have been detained or deported back to China at the behest of China. So people in third countries are not safe.
These are documented cases. What about undocumented cases — cases we don't know about? I would fathom the number is much higher.
These people are under severe pressure. Even if they are not deported back, they're still under fear.
If we could welcome those within China, I would love that. Unfortunately, that's not possible. We can do something for those in third countries who are also fearing for their safety.
When people are deported back to China, they do end up in the concentration camps where they're forced into labour.
You've been trying to make this happen since 2019 to bring Uyghurs to safety here in Canada. Why do you think it's taking so long?
Well, I used everything in my power to make this happen. And I had, through good fortune, a private member's bill slot that allowed me to force this conversation within the House of Commons. And it worked.
Members from all parties united and said: let's do this. And it has taken a little while. It has taken longer than I personally would have wanted. But we are doing it now.
We've seen, though, as you well know, refugees from Ukraine fleeing the war granted entry to this country in a fairly short amount of time. So was that frustrating for you to see that there wasn't more action more quickly for Uyghur refugees?
This one doesn't involve just one country. There are several countries. And so every situation is different. I recognize that.
At the same time, I definitely was, you know, hurting — I have to be honest — and wanting [for] this [to get] decided. And we did, thankfully, decide on it.
Do you think the will was always there? [Was it] just finding the right time to ask that question again or force the issue?
I think we always want to do the right thing. But we need to sometimes call the question. And the question in this instance had a deadline that we had to answer. We couldn't punt it forward any further into the future.
I'm sure you're not surprised to hear that this motion was criticized by China. The Chinese government [is] saying the motion amounts to political manipulation by Canada. That's according to reporting by The Canadian Press.
How concerned are you about a response or retaliation even from Beijing, particularly given that a Uyghur Canadian citizen, as you know, Huseyin Celil, is still in detention in China?
Well, I don't think this has anything really to do with China per se. It has to do with saving Uhygurs in third countries who are not in China. So I don't know how there is any manipulation or anything at all.
Family wants Ottawa to do more to get Canadian Huseyin Celil out of Chinese prison
Are you concerned, though, about Mr. Celil's case?
I've been concerned about Mr. Celil's case since he was first detained almost 20 years ago. And I've been personally working on that case since that early date.
I think we need to continue to press for his release. He is a Canadian citizen and his rights as a Canadian citizen must be respected.
China does not recognize his Canadian citizenship. And, in fact, in Chinese law, once one is a citizen of another country, their Chinese citizenship automatically lapses. So he has no citizenship but Canadian citizenship. And that is a fact that China is refusing to recognize at this point in time.
What is the federal government doing now to help Mr. Celil?
We have continuously pressed for his release. Our diplomatic corps has been doing so. It's been discussed at the highest levels.
China can choose to stop this. I invite them to do so without delay.
