Sign for Ottawa Community Immigrant Services Organization Inside classroom - adult students Students raise hands and talk over each other Man [OS]: I am from Bhutan Teacher [OS]: From Bhutan Woman: I come from Ethiopia Man: I’m from Syria Teacher [OS]: From Syria. Where are you from. Woman: I am from Djibouti Nick: Can I ask how many of you came as refugees to Canada? Nick: Pretty much everybody. Nick standing in hallway with refugees CU refugees’ faces Nick: And you were shot where in the body? Nick [VO]: In the United States, there’s been a huge furor over the U.S. accepting just 12,000 Syrian refugees. B-roll footage of people ice-skating TEXT: Ottawa, Canada B-roll close-ups children in hijab on canal Nick [VO]: With a much smaller population, Canada has accepted 40,000 refugees, and is accepting more. Nick [VO]: Immigration here is popular. I’m here to understand why. B-roll children skating, pan up to Parliament Hill TITLE: Nick interviewing Ahmed Hussen Ahmed Hussen Text: Minister Ahmed Hussen Canadian Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Nick and Ahmed talking Nick [VO]: Traditionally in history, Canadians were every bit as xenophobic and racist in immigration policies as the U.S. or Europe and yet in the 1960s and 70s something completely changed the demography of Canada and has had people cheering as that demography has changed and I don’t understand that. Ahmed: I think also you know there’s a lot of factors to this but one of the main ones is in 1982 we patriated our constitution and in our charter is a commitment to multiculturalism. Refugee families eating English Language Classroom Ahmed [VO]: We also view language training as being key and integral to integration and settlement. Teacher: Okay number one: grow. Ahmed [VO]: So for example in 2017, we will spend nine hundred million dollars on settlement services for newcomers. Nick in Car Road in Ottawa In car passing houses Nick [VO]: Look, let’s not kid ourselves, Canada has some important advantages here. It doesn’t have a poorer country right next door that is sending undocumented immigrants and causing resentment. There’s no question that makes it easier. But this also is, I think, a case of political leadership. Nick entering home of Al-Khatouf refugee family Nick: Hello, Hi Ali. INTV: Chrystia Freeland Text: Minister Chrystia Freeland Canadian Minister of Foreign Affairs Chrystia: I think it’s becoming really part of our identity. I think Canadians are really sort of doubling down right now and a lot of us are saying, yeah this is who we are. Nick meeting Al-Khatouf refugee family B-roll refugees and hosts Nick: It’s not just the government that’s bringing people in, any group of five or more people can apply to sponsor a refugee. And this is a substantial commitment. They have to look after a refugee for a year. INTV: Mary Browne Refugee family sitting on the couch with Nick INTV: Mary Browne Mary Browne: We started with the hopes of one family and we had so much support that we now have three families so the Al-Khatouf is our first family. The second family is also here living in this building and uh the third family will be arriving, uh which you really never know possibly in the next uh spring. Peggy [OS]: In the spring, I think Mary. We’re expecting them in the spring Vicky Assad standing in hallway Vicky Assad: Canadians often get compared to Americans and think they’re quite similar. We’re not. INTV: Vicky Assad Vicky Assad: Canadians often get compared to Americans, and think they’re quite similar. We’re not. Refugees and hosts sitting on couch INTV: Chrystia Freeland Nick interviewing Chrystia Nick [VO]: We may be overdue for a recession, worldwide and in North America. The latest Quebec shooting was of a non-Muslim, shooting Muslims. But at some point there may very well be one that’s the other way around. How vulnerable do you think this hospitality is to terrorism incidents? Chrystia: Being an open society means being a vulnerable society and we are 100% committed to do everything in our power to protect Canadians. Child playing, family on couch INTV: Rahgdaa in school B-roll of Ali with his children Rahgdaa [in Arabic with English subtitles]: I was going to a new country, new language and new place. Being nervous is normal. But when I meet the sponsor group at the airport, they treated us well, just like their own family. Woman hands out sleds to Ali and his children. Kids on sleds Shot of Nick at his desk. Woman: You want the purple one? Child: I want the blue one Woman: You want the blue one? Nick [VO]: The fact that these have now become recognized as Canadian values means that people assert their Canadian-ness when they go to the airport and welcome Syrian refugees. Ali pushing his kids down the sledding hill Ali INTV in school Ali [in Arabic with English subtitles]: My relationship with them is more than a sponsorship. We became one family. INTV: Rahgdaa in school Rahgdaa [in Arabic with English subtitles]: I would describe Canada as the land of spring. It’s full of butterflies and energy. After that the fruits shows up. The people of Canada are like the trees that bear those fruits. Ali pushing his kids down the sledding hill END Ali: Bye, bye. Kids: Bye