Canada must do more to help Syrian refugees: Edmonton sponsor

An Edmonton teacher who spent 15 months trying to get relatives out of Syria says governments around the world must do more to solve a growing refugee crisis.

Omar Zaitoun managed to bring his uncle's family to Edmonton in June. But it was a long and complicated process.

"In any situation that's similar to this, it's never enough," he said of international efforts to help thousands of Syrian refugees.

"I think as an international community, everyone is responsible to do more. But we're so far away, it's not as easy as just picking people up and bringing them right here. It is a very slow process."

He said it took him 50 hours to fill out paperwork for the family members he brought over. He's still waiting for another group of relatives who applied at the same time.

Zaitoun said there are several forms to fill out, including a detailed family history. He said he spent hours tracking down passport numbers, dates of birth, and correct addresses.

Once the applications are processed, the refugees have to go through medical checkups and interviews with Canadian immigration officials in the country where they're waiting. Then they undergo security checks, to make sure they don't have criminal records.

"After that, it's just a waiting game," Zaitoun told CBC's Edmonton AM. "And that's the biggest part, is the waiting."

Zaitoun said he understands why the process can take so long and why background checks are so detailed.

"In this day and age, you have to make sure people that we're helping are not a detriment to us," he said.

But he thinks more needs to be done, in Canada and around the world, to help more people.

"We need to start bringing some people here, and at least supporting them just to get on their feet, and hopefully try to acclimate them to Canadian society and make them productive members of this country."

He fully sponsors his uncle's family. He rented them an apartment and helped them settle in. The family doesn't cost taxpayers anything, he said.

One young man in the family is working two jobs, he said, and all are taking English language classes.

Another 90 refugees are expected to arrive in Edmonton by the end of the year.

He said his relatives are adjusting well to life in Canada, despite the cold weather, and are very grateful to be here

"They feel really guilty at the same time," he said. "As much as it's beautiful to be here, it's never a secure feeling until you know everyone in the family is secure."