Dear Prime Minister,

We are writing to you, thousands strong, as concerned people from across Canada on the occasion of World Refugee Day. Each year on June 20, we join people around the world in celebrating the inherent value of welcoming refugees to our country.

This is fundamental to Canadian values. Year after year, thousands of people in every province and territory have built community and connection through sponsoring, resettling, and supporting refugees seeking safety in the promise of Canada.

But this year feels different.

As leaders in other countries recklessly stoke hatred toward migrants and refugees, we are proud to live in a country that welcomes newcomers of all backgrounds. We want no part of the horror unfolding in the United States, where neighbours are turned against each other, and families are violently deported without a hearing. Yet we are not immune to rising anti-immigrant sentiment here in Canada. Newcomers are experiencing it every day, as many of us can attest.

Canada has long been a leader in offering protection—to those fleeing war and persecution, to women escaping gender-based violence, and to LGBTQIA+ refugees seeking a new home where they are free to be themselves. We are rightly known for our fair adjudication of refugee claims, highly skilled resettlement organizations, and strong private sponsorship programs.

This is who we have been as a country, and who we want to continue to be.

Yet this tradition, which has so greatly shaped the fabric and quality of our country, is under threat from a vocal minority who mistakenly (or cynically) link refugees to social problems decades in the making—issues that affect us all and deserve serious attention, but should never be used to undermine safe refuge and due process for people fleeing persecution.

The danger of giving oxygen to anti-migrant and anti-refugee sentiment is real. We are deeply alarmed by steep reductions in refugee admissions from abroad, the closure of private sponsorship pathways, and changes to the refugee claims process that will deprive people of a fair hearing.

People in Canada want a just and well-managed refugee system that reflects our reputation as a safe haven in an unforgiving world. According to the latest Ipsos poll, three out of four Canadians believe people fleeing war and persecution should have the opportunity to seek refuge here. When refugees arrive, they gain a safe home—and Canada gains future citizens who strengthen our communities, enrich our culture, create jobs, and build our economy.

For 75 years, the UN Refugee Convention has upheld the right to seek safety as a universal human right—one Canada has long honoured. On this World Refugee Day, we invite you to uphold this principle at the heart of Canadian values, recognizing that none of us is safe until all of us are safe.

As you prepare for the next session of Parliament, we ask you to:

• ensure Canada welcomes and resettles more, not fewer, refugees;
• protect fair hearings for those seeking asylum in Canada; and
• uphold and strengthen Canada’s global refugee leadership in defending human rights and gender equality.

Canada is beautiful because we speak many languages, come from many places, and across our differences, we look out for each other. We expect our leaders to carry on that legacy and help make this a country where all families can thrive.

If you do, an overwhelming majority of Canadians will stand with you to make it a reality.

Because we are better and stronger together.

Sincerely,