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Democracy NowNov 27, 2022
The Facts
Hassan Al Kontar — the now 41-year-old Syrian refugee who became stranded in Malaysia's Kuala Lumpur International Airport in 2018 for seven months and spent two months in a Malaysian detention center — was officially granted Canadian Citizenship on Wednesday.
With his Canadian passport, Kontar hopes to finally see his family again, whose escape from Syria to Egypt he managed to help arrange four months ago, and also travel the world to help other displaced refugees.
The Spin
Establishment-critical narrative
Kontar's resettlement is just a drop in the bucket. The Syrian war is not over, and it continues to be a huge global crisis still affecting millions of lives. While the West has shifted its focus to the war in Ukraine, it must not wash its hands of Syrian refugees languishing in camps in Lebanon, Jordan, and Turkey, who are facing racism, discrimination, interrogations, and unwarranted jail terms for years.
Pro-establishment narrative
Though it's impossible to offer all displaced refugees a dignified life, this case shows that Western nations and institutions can make an important difference. Canada is currently among the few countries bearing a disproportionate amount of responsibility. Since a staggeringly high number of people need protection, Canada must adopt an even more uniform, fair, and sustainable refugee policy, and other nations can follow suit.
