Following the devastating earthquake that struck Türkiye in 2023, Canada opened its doors to those who lost everything, granting them a chance to build their lives and find peace in its communities.
However, the government only granted about 6,000 people with temporary residency, giving them temporary work permits that are set to expire in 2026.
Sefika Ozlem Yaman Sahin, completed a 28-day long journey from the provincial capital to Ottawa to help raise awareness of the impacts people like her face.
“We made some peaceful protests in many cities across Canada and we sent many emails to the Canadian government but we couldn’t get any response,” she said in an interview. “So I decided to walk from Toronto to Ottawa with my son to spread awareness.”
More than 50,000 people were killed and millions displaced after the 7.8-magnitude quake and several powerful aftershocks hit southern Türkiye and northern Syria on Feb. 6. The government allowed those who have temporary status to visit family, study or work in Canada to extend and the fees were waived.
About 6.9 million people were internally displaced inside Syria before the earthquake and more than 6.8 million Syrians have been forced to flee their country since 2011, including 3.6 million in Türkiye alone, according to the United Nations.
Protestors gathered in the ByWard Market to share their concerns about how families have moved and settled in Canada, only to be forced back to their native country.
In one case, a mother spoke who said she wasn’t sure how she could explain to her young son, who had lived his first years of life in Canada, that they now have to leave again.
“We are not asking for special treatment, it’s a part of this nation to simply ask for a safe and stable future for our families,” one participant said.
The group is asking the government to give them extra time on their temporary status to “finish what we started,” Sahin said.
