BY AMAN SINGH
NDP MLA for Richmond-Queensborough
ON January 19, British Columbians welcomed over 200 Afghan refugees arriving at the Vancouver International Airport. It is so inspiring to see how our community has opened their hearts to welcome our newest neighbours.
The refugees were greeted by the Community Airport Newcomers Network with support from S.U.C.C.E.S.S, a non-profit organization. The network provides winter clothing, arranges transportation, and offers initial orientation to newcomers and their families.
Over the next few weeks, newcomers will receive support from Immigration Services Society of British Columbia (ISSofBC), a settlement service provider that helps refugees find temporary and permanent housing, provides them with information about finding work, and helps newcomers in improving their language skills and adjusting to life in Canada.
I want to say a big thank you to these organizations for their ongoing work to help newcomers adjust to life here in B.C.
Our government’s priority is ensuring every newcomer to the province has access to the services and supports they need to help them thrive. This includes access to career services, as well as trauma counselling.
In recognition of the severity of the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan, we announced a $2-million Refugee Readiness Fund in November to help Afghan refugees feel welcome and safe as they adjust to their new life.
This fund is a one-time investment that complements existing provincial and federal support services for refugees, recognizing that additional supports may be needed as more Afghan families and individuals arrive in the coming years.
Many of these newcomers will settle in Metro Vancouver, and in other communities, such as Victoria and Kelowna, where resettlement supports exist.
The federal government also recently announced new resettlement supports will be added to welcome newcomers in Nanaimo, Abbotsford and Surrey.
On behalf of our New Democrat government, I want to welcome the individuals and families from Afghanistan as they embark on the next chapter of their lives in British Columbia. I wish them much success and prosperity.
To learn more about Afghan refugees in B.C., please visit https://bcrefugeehub.ca/.
