Quebec’s immigration minister met Saturday with refugees from Iraq and Syria already living in the province to see how they're adapting to their new home.
“Everything is good, the people so kind, everyone wants to help us. I really like Canada,” said Talin Allah Werdian, who lived in a town outside Damascus and escaped the violence before finally landing in Montreal four months ago.
Allah Werdian and other refugees have received help from organizations that partner with the Quebec government, helping them find housing, language courses and jobs.
“They should accept some difficulties, the refugees, for one, two, three months and then everything will be good,” she said.
Many private organizations are pitching in as well, including the Imani Community Centre, which is collecting food and clothing.
“This proves when we have love and respect for each other, we can do a lot of things,” said Musabbir Alam of the centre.
Quebec accepts an average of 5000 refugees annually from countries around the world.
Immigration Minister Kathleen Weil said the main difference with the Syrian refugees will be how quickly they arrive.
“It's the pace, it this accelerated pace during the Christmas holidays,” she said, adding that programs are in place and ready to help, as they have helped other refugees.
Minas Chakmakyan and his family have made use of the programs. Chakmakyan owned prosperous farmland in Iraq. War forced him to leave more than a decade ago, arriving in Montreal in 2014.
“Many friends we know, they were killed for nothing, for nothing,” he said.
A safe life has offered stability to Chakmakyan and his family, including his 12-year-old son Joseph.
“I feel incredibly happy and really thankful,” he said.
