“A Night of Solidarity with Survivors of Torture”


Thank you, ladies and gentlemen.

It's a tremendous honour to represent Minister Finley and Canada’s new government at this “Night of Solidarity with Survivors of Torture.”

I appreciate this opportunity to join you in paying tribute to people of great courage.

Torture victims have been through the worst possible conditions, but they represent the very best of humanity.

They are people who have followed the path of conscience ... who spoke out for freedom ... who put the welfare of others before their own security.

They are people who share the values we hold dear in Canada. And for their convictions they pay a cruel, unjust, and inhumane price.

I believe when Canada offers refuge, our nation is stronger for it. These are the values we hold dear—freedom, family and independence.

So many people who have fled persecution in their native lands have contributed to making Canada a rich and welcoming society. That’s equally true of the people who continue arriving today.

Among them is a man who has felt the effects of torture personally—Mulugeta Abai (MOO-LOO-GET-A A-BYE), who has been the Executive Director of the Canadian Centre for Victims of Torture for the past 14 years.

Mr. Abai was detained and tortured three times in his home country of Ethiopia for his opposition to the brutal military regime in power in the early 1980s.

After he was released, his life became unbearable due to the constant surveillance and harassment he endured.

So he walked for 17 days, mostly at night to avoid detection, until he reached Sudan, where he lived for over a year before being accepted for resettlement as a government-sponsored refugee by the government in 1983.

Clearly, he has been motivated to help other victims of torture, and they find a compassionate ear and a helping hand here at the Canadian Centre for Victims of Torture.

For 30 years, the Centre has helped people recover from injury, reclaim their dignity, and renew their lives.

On behalf of the Government of Canada, I want to thank you, Mulugeta, for the work you all do at the CCVT.

You've grown from a small group to a network of professionals and volunteers who've helped more than 14,000 survivors from 123 different countries.

It is difficult work. You hear stories of unspeakable cruelty. You build trust with people who have lived in fear.

But you know that survivors of torture have come this far because they have a strong determination to survive. And the faith you show in them, the friendship you offer, and quality of the services you provide, helps them dream of the future, once again.

As your mandate says, you “give hope after the horror.”

Your dedication and expertise add to Canada's international reputation as an advocate for human rights and a leader in the struggle against torture.

On behalf of our Prime Minister, Stephen Harper, we are proud to support your work by helping newcomers to integrate.

We often speak about the importance of language skills for newcomers who want to succeed here.

To that end, our government has committed $1.3 billion over five years to help newcomers integrate into our communities, improve their language skills, and find work.

The CCVT is one of our key partners that delivers both the Immigrant Settlement and Adaptation Program (ISAP) and Language Instruction for Newcomers—or LINC—to help newcomers adapt, settle and integrate into Canadian society.

The value of our government’s contribution to the CCVT to provide these programs over two years is more than $1.5 million.

Governments face many demands for resources, but we feel this is important and it’s going to make a difference for many of the people who walk through these doors.

This International Day in Support of Victims of Torture is a time to renew our commitment to denounce torture and call for justice — because torture continues in too many countries and there is much more work to do.

That’s why, today, we stand side by side with the survivors of torture.

We must continue offering protection to people who fear persecution or who may be at risk.

For those who may be at risk, our Government is taking measures to help prevent abuse before it occurs. Recently, for example, we introduced amendments to the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (IRPA) that would give the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration the authority to instruct immigration officers to deny work permits to individuals who may be subjected to humiliating and degrading treatment, including sexual exploitation.

We also introduced new guidelines that would help victims of human trafficking escape the influence of their traffickers and recover from their ordeal. These new guidelines extend the length of the Temporary Resident Permit, for which victims are eligible, from 120 to 180 days.

They will be eligible for work permits so that they can support themselves while considering their next steps. During this time they have health coverage under the Federal Interim Health Initiative.

And we revoked the citizenship of two individuals who had been found by the Federal Court of Canada to have obtained their citizenship through false representation or fraud, or by knowingly concealing material circumstances in connection with their entry into Canada after World War II.

In such cases, our position is clear: Canada will not become a safe haven for anyone who has been involved in war crimes, crimes against humanity or genocide.

Your courage reminds us that we must stand up to tyranny around the world. This means Canadians must continue working internationally with other countries to denounce torture and call on governments to meet their human rights obligations.

And their survival inspires us all. They give us the hope that we can make a difference and that — one day — all governments will respect the rights of citizens so that people will live in peace and safety.

The Government of Canada would like to congratulate the Canadian Centre for Victims of Torture on the occasion of its 30th anniversary of providing assistance to victims of torture. We are proud to fund the important work of your organization. Congratulations!

And thank you.