CIHS President Michael Molloy , Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada’s Associate Assistant Deputy Minister Dawn Edlund, Naomi Alboim and Doctor Nhung Tran-Davies recently discussed Canada’s and Canadians’ humanitarian tradition. The panel was organized by the Canada School of Public Service which has made this video link accessible. The panel discussed their respective experiences with major refugee movements – Alboim…
CIHS member Erica Usher presents a copy of Running on Empty to IOM Director General, William Swing at IOM HQ in Geneva where Erica is on assignment as Senior Policy Adviser, Global Compact for Migration.
The CBC website carries two articles stemming from ‘Running on Empty’. In the first, some of the immigration officers involved talk of their experiences. In the second, we read of one of the refugees recognizing a photo of himself taken during his interview for Canada and reflecting, along with his daughter, about that chapter in his life.
CIHS is pleased to promote on-line stories about the reception of Syrian refugees in Ottawa – stories from the immigrants themselves but also from people involved in this refugee movement and who contributed in one way or another. The site is run by the Ottawa organization ‘Refugee613’ that the Society has worked with.
CBC News reported on ‘Running on Empty: Canada and the Indochinese Refugees, 1975-1980’
Radio-Canada a diffusé un reportage sur « Running on Empty: Canada and the Indochinese Refugees, 1975-1980 »
In consultation with Society President Michael Molloy, Historica Canada has produced and released (on World Refugee Day – June 20) a Heritage Minute on the Indochinese ‘boat people’. The story in the Heritage Minute is based on the experiences of CBC Ottawa reporter Judy Trinh who was master of ceremonies at the launch of “Running on Empty:…
The Society proudly announces the publication of its book, ‘Running on Empty’, on the Indochinese ‘boat people’ movement under the banner of McGill Queen’s University Press. The book focuses on the work of Canadian public servants in Southeast Asia and Canada to meet an unprecedented commitment to resettle 70,000 of the refugees before the end of 1980….
‘Going under’ – that was what the Indo China refugee task group found themselves facing in Ottawa. There was a ‘collision’ between the resource demands of overseas processing and maintaining the air bridge to Canada and the operational needs of matching private settlement offers in Canada. Canadian private settlement organizations were vocal about the disconnect…
Indochinese refugees families applying to come to Canada completed an IMM8 application form, usually right after they had been interviewed and accepted by a visa officer. Unique to the Indochinese movement, departmental officials also developed and utilized the IMM1314 form to simplify and expedite processing. Completed by hand at interview, the IMM1314 captured the composition…
The Prime Minister has released his expectations of his Ministers (mandate letters). The letter to the Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship can be read here.
In July 1979, just before announcing Canada would accept 50,000 refugees, Immigration Minister Ron Atkey launched a newsletter to keep Canadian refugee sponsors informed of the latest developments. The newsletters have been skillfully summarized by Martha Nixon, a member of the Indochinese Refugee Task Force. The newsletters were preserved by Rene Pappone who headed the Task Force’s…
Learn more about the 40th anniversary of the Indochinese Refugee Movement. New images, captured by those who were there, are showcased in Indochina photo albums on our site.
An Act of Parliament now makes April 30 a day of commemoration for the Indochinese refugee movement. The Act is online. CIHS President, Michael Molloy, met with the Senators and that hearing is now on-line. (Note: Videos best viewed with Internet Explorer). In speaking about the movement of the ‘boat people’ to Canada, Molloy said, This movement “…was…
An Act of Parliament now makes April 30 a day of commemoration for the Indochinese refugee movement. The Act is on-line. CIHS President, Michael Molloy, met with the Senators and that hearing is now on-line. (Note: Videos best viewed with Internet Explorer). In speaking about the movement of the ‘boat people’ to Canada, Molloy said, This movement “…was…
On April 27, 1999 the very first Kosovars of the 5000 Canada committed to shelter arrived, followed by the first major evacuation flight on May 4, 1999. This movement – temporary at first, then offering permanent resettlement, is recounted by Dr. Jan Raska of the Canadian Museum of Immigration History at Pier 21. There is also a…
In 1999, the Government of Canada announced it would take 5000 Kosovars, displaced by ethnic strife, into the country where they could stay temporarily or settle permanently. This documentary traces the Kosovars movement to Canada and presents the partnerships between employees of Citizenship and Immigration Canada with other federal departments, the Canadian Red Cross and other groups…
CIHS facilitated the transfer to Carleton University of an important archive of 1972 Canadian, Ugandan and international newspaper clippings about the expulsion Uganda’s Asian community. 6,000 Ugandan Asians came to Canada with visas issued by the team sent to Kampala in the fall of 1972 and approximately 2,000 more came the following year. This resource and…
The people of Canada are the unique recipients of an award for their work on behalf of refugees.
Forty years ago this August the Ugandan dictator Idi Amin announced the expulsion of most of Uganda’s Asian population. Canada responded by sending a team to Kampala under the leadership of Roger St. Vincent and setting up a special reception facility at Canadian Forces Longue Pointe. Between 6 September and 6 November 1972 the Kampala…