Humanitarian, Refugees and Foreign Affairs

We live in an interconnected world, and events transpiring worldwide ultimately affects Canadians, whether we are speaking about economic trade, global prices of goods and commodities, knowledge and skills exchange, effects of climate change, disease transmission and control, natural disaster management, and others. Fulfilling our international obligations protects and serves the interests of Canadians.

People fleeing war, persecution or natural disasters face tremendous barriers to obtaining necessary travel documents. For this reason, I have been advocating for visa-free travel for urgent, life-and-death situations such as the war in Ukraine. I have also been advocating for the government to rescind the safe third country agreement because often, refugees cannot get to safety without first going to a third country. It is paramount that Canada has an adequately resourced immigration system that can act with flexibility and expediency in times of crisis without compromising national security standards.

As your Member of Parliament, I will fight to ensure Canada fulfills its humanitarian and environmental obligations as a member of the international community.

IN THE NEWS: Hill Times - Confusion and chaos define Canada’s effort to resettle Afghan refugees

NDP MP Jenny Kwan (Vancouver East, B.C.), her party’s immigration critic, told The HillTimes that, despite having an awareness of what was to come in Afghanistan, the Canadian government did not adequately prepare.

“The situation has been chaotic right from the get-go,” she said.

IN THE NEWS: Globe & Mail - Canada’s spy agency warns MPs to beware of influence operations from China

Vancouver NDP MP Jenny Kwan, a critic of Beijing’s crackdown in the former British colony of Hong Kong, was also briefed before and after the 2021 election. She said the conversation was principally focused on China.

“The briefing touched on a range of issues on how interference could occur and examples of those possibilities and to ensure we are alerted,” she said, but cautioned much of it was confidential. “When CSIS has such concerns … it is useful for all parliamentarians to be informed of that.”

IN THE NEWS: Globe & Mail - While Afghan judges await entry to Canada, their visas face expiry deadlines in Greece

Greece granted the women and their families temporary visas on the understanding that the country would be a “lily pad” destination – a place where the Afghans would stay temporarily while they awaited visas from Canada, the United States and other countries. But the paperwork has taken months. In a letter to Mr. Fraser and Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly, NDP immigration critic Jenny Kwan said some of the Greek visas will expire at the end of this month.

In her letter, she wrote that the immigration forms are detailed and complex, and that filling them out requires internet access, which refugees might be unable to obtain. They might also need help from lawyers and translators.

IN THE NEWS: Global News - BC MP condemns Hong Kong arrests of pro-democracy journalists

Vancouver East MP Jenny Kwan, who was born in Hong Kong, says the arrests of pro-democracy journalists in Hong Kong is ‘heartbreaking”. And she’s calling on the Canadian government to take action. Paul Johnson reports.

IN THE NEWS: Georgia Straight - Chinese dictator Xi Jinping risks spoiling his Olympic party by prosecuting Hong Kong pop star Denis Ho

Ho, a Canadian citizen, was one of seven people arrested in Hong Kong this week for being currently or formerly associated with the online media outlet Stand News.

As Vancouver East NDP MP Jenny Kwan has pointed out, the arrests fly in the face of Article 27 of Hong Kong's Basic Law, which guarantees freedom of the press and freedom of speech.

IN THE NEWS: Globe & Mail - Canadian Cantopop star Denise Ho sacrificed a lucrative career in China to speak out for Hong Kong

In a statement, Global Affairs Canada said it was “deeply concerned by the arrests … including Canadian citizen and activist Denise Ho.”

Politicians across the spectrum have spoken out in support of Ms. Ho. Conservative MP Garnett Genuis called for a “swift and emphatic response” from Ottawa. Green Party interim leader Amita Kuttner said she was “alarmed” by Ms. Ho’s arrest, while Hong Kong-born NDP lawmaker Jenny Kwan said the city “has turned into a police state,” adding “Canada needs to work urgently with ally countries to address this grave situation.”

IN THE NEWS: CBC - Vancouver MP ‘heartbroken' by arrest of Hong Kong journalists

Kwan said the implications of these arrests reach across the globe. Anybody in Canada that critiques the Chinese government can also be targeted by these laws if they travel to Hong Kong, she said. Kwan said Canadian expatriates living in Hong Kong are at risk of being targeted.

"No one is safe… I have now come to the realization that I can no longer travel back to Hong Kong, my birthplace. I had hoped that one day I could bring my children back… but that is not a reality for me," said Kwan.

Stand News announced later Wednesday it is shutting down. The outlet said all employees were dismissed and their website and social media will be taken down.

IN THE NEWS: Rabble - No room at Canada’s inn for Afghan refugees

Indeed, on December 7, NDP immigration critic Jenny Kwan called for emergency immigration measures in the House of Commons, pointing out:

“According to the government’s own website, ‘Canada and its allies have received assurances from the Taliban that Afghan citizens with travel authorization from other countries will be allowed to leave Afghanistan.’ Canada must not squander this small window of opportunity given the dire situation in Afghanistan. The NDP is therefore calling on the government to bring in an emergency immigration measure of utilizing temporary residence permits to help Afghans get to safety.”

IN THE NEWS: Globe & Mail - Members of Parliament to probe government’s handling of Kabul evacuation

NDP immigration critic Jenny Kwan said people in Afghanistan do not have two years to wait.

“Afghans are in a dire situation and urgent action is required,” she said. “Some may not even have two days, two weeks or two months, let alone two years.”

IN THE NEWS: Ottawa Citizen - Brockville refugee takes her case to PMO

NDP Immigration Critic Jenny Kwan attended the event at the PMO to show support. She called on the Liberal government to address the backlog of refugee claims.

“If they don’t put additional resources into the system, we are three years away to get back to pre-pandemic levels,” Kwan said.