Editorial: City should declare itself a sanctuary

By Dustin Cook

In recent weeks, there has been much discussion about Ottawa becoming a sanctuary city, following in the footsteps of other major Canadian cities.

Somerset Coun. Catherine McKenney was expected to bring a motion forward to city council on Feb. 8, but she decided to delay and allow for more public consultation on the issue.

The initial idea was met with much criticism in the city, most notably from Mayor Jim Watson. McKenney is right to push this initiative, and Watson is wrong to oppose it.

Toronto, Vancouver, Hamilton, London and Montreal — the latter city in a unanimous vote on Feb. 20 — have each declared themselves sanctuaries. Ottawa needs to lead by example as the nation’s capital and join the cross-Canada movement to protect undocumented immigrants. This needs to happen now because of the events occurring in the U.S., and is the necessary response from the capital of a country that prides itself on acceptance and multiculturalism.

It’s vital for Canadian cities to step up and make sure immigrants are protected within our borders after U.S. President Donald Trump’s order blocking travellers from seven Muslim-majority countries. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau promptly responded by saying Canada will welcome refugees rejected from the U.S.

There is no set definition of a sanctuary city; it will largely take the form of what the city wants it to be. The key aim is to protect immigrants, including refugees, who don’t have proper documentation, and to ensure they aren’t detained or deported if they seek social services in a city without having formal status in Canada.

Watson said he doesn’t believe there’s a problem in Ottawa that the sanctuary status would address, and opposes even a symbolic gesture.

He said his staff couldn’t come up with a single example of an individual being denied city services for immigration-related reasons.

But the possibility is still there, and those in favour of sanctuary cities argue that undocumented immigrants don’t seek social services out of fear they could be questioned. In other words, the problem Watson says doesn’t exist may simply be hidden from view.

As a symbol, the designation speaks volumes. And it could prevent a situation in which a fearful immigrant might avoid vital services, including health care and emergency assistance.

As we’ve all seen, there’s been a surge of illegal refugees from the U.S. crossing the border into Canada since Trump’s rise to power.

Ottawa has a rich history of accepting refugees, and most recently welcomed about 2,000 Syrian refugees into the city.

Although immigration is under federal jurisdiction, cities can make it a policy to not ask for proof of immigration status when someone is seeking a social service. It’s important for immigrants to know they are welcome here regardless of their documentation. The protection a sanctuary city offers is worth the minute risk of temporarily giving refuge to an unworthy individual.

The community and protective services committee will meet at the end of the March to review the issue and discuss next steps.

The City of Ottawa needs to act on this issue. During this time of ugly immigration debates and uncertainty in the U.S., it is essential for all Canadian immigrants to feel safe. This measure —which is more than a symbolic gesture — would be the decent thing to do.