The Canadian government has rejected an offer from a civil society delegation to travel to northeastern Syria on behalf of Ottawa to repatriate detained Canadians. However, a smaller group, including Sen. Kim Pate, plans to visit the region in late August to gather information about Canadians held in squalid camps and prisons. The delegation will also include Alex Neve, former secretary general of Amnesty International Canada, and Scott Heatherington, a former Canadian diplomat. The participants plan to discuss details of the initiative at a news conference in Ottawa on Thursday morning.
In late May, the Federal Court of Appeal overturned a judge’s declaration that four Canadian men being held in Syrian camps are entitled to Ottawa’s help to return home. The ruling reversed a previous decision in January by Federal Court Justice Henry Brown, who directed Ottawa to request the repatriation of the men as soon as possible and provide them with passports or emergency travel documents.
The Canadians are among the many foreign nationals in Syrian camps and jails run by Kurdish forces that reclaimed the region from ISIS. Sally Lane, the mother of one of the Canadian men, wrote to Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly in April, urging her to authorize a delegation to Syria to help save her son’s life and protect the rights of all Canadian detainees. However, the government declined to support the delegation and stated that repatriation would be carried out solely by government members.
The mission set for August will be a fact-finding trip rather than a repatriation trip. Lane has decided not to go as she does not want to see her son and leave him behind. When asked why the government did not support the proposed delegation, a spokesperson for Global Affairs Canada stated that Ottawa advises against all travel to Syria and cannot comment on specific cases or potential future actions due to privacy and operational security considerations.
The identities and circumstances of the other three Canadian men are not publicly known. Lawyer Lawrence Greenspon reached an agreement with the federal government earlier this year to bring home six Canadian women and 13 children from Syria who were part of the legal action. Alex Neve expressed his disappointment with the government’s refusal to assist in the return of the men, calling it disgraceful. The delegation plans to visit northeastern Syria and speak with Canadians in the camps and detention centers to assess their welfare and human rights concerns. They also hope to meet with local officials to explore possibilities for facilitating the release of Canadians. Neve criticized Canada for lagging behind other countries in facilitating the repatriation of their nationals and emphasized the importance of upholding human rights.
Overall, the delegation aims to gather information and advocate for the repatriation of Canadians held in Syrian camps and detention centers, while highlighting Canada’s responsibility to protect the rights of its citizens.
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