First Arrival of the M-62 Resettlement Program
First Arrival of the M-62 Resettlement Program
Ottawa, ON - BREAKING: Today, Canada celebrates a historic milestone in its dedication to human rights and global justice with the first arrival under the M-62 Uyghurs and other Turkic Muslim resettlement program.
Background
Member of Parliament Sameer Zuberi introduced M-62, a private member's motion designed to expedite the resettlement of 10,000 Uyghurs and other Turkic Muslims fleeing persecution. The initiative was set to begin in 2024 and will unfold over a three-year timeline. M-62 garnered cross-party support with 20 sponsors, including MPs Garnett Genuis, Elizabeth May, Heather McPherson, and Alexis BrunelleDuceppe. It was unanimously passed on February 1, 2023, in the House of Commons with an overwhelming 322 votes.
M-62 has established a specialized immigration pathway for Uyghurs, Kazakhs, and other Turkic Muslim minorities who have endured human rights abuses, forced displacement, and systemic oppression by the Chinese government. This program offers refugees the opportunity to escape oppressive conditions and find refuge in Canada, particularly from regions where their safety and freedom are severely threatened.
Uyghurs in East Turkestan
M-62 is a direct response to mounting evidence of the Chinese government’s systematic repression of Uyghurs. This repression includes an ongoing genocide characterized by mass detentions, forced labor, cultural erasure, and pervasive surveillance in East Turkestan. An estimated one to two million Uyghurs and other Turkic Muslims have been forcibly detained in so-called "re-education camps." These facilities are characterized by inhumane conditions, psychological and physical abuse, and forced indoctrination aimed at erasing Uyghur identity and instilling loyalty to the Chinese Communist Party. Survivors report harrowing accounts of torture, medical experiments, sexual violence, and forced renunciations of their faith and culture. Many detainees, along with others in the general population, are coerced into state-run forced labor programs, often under the guise of poverty alleviation or vocational training. East Turkestan has become one of the most heavily surveillance regions in the world. Advanced technologies, including facial recognition cameras, biometric data collection, and artificial intelligence, are deployed to monitor and control the Uyghur population.
Uyghur Diaspora
In addition to the dire conditions within their homeland, Uyghurs in third countries face the persistent and life-threatening danger of deportation back to China, where they risk imprisonment, torture, or worse. The program aims to address these urgent humanitarian concerns by providing a secure pathway to resettlement for those escaping persecution, ensuring their safety and dignity while shining a global spotlight on the atrocities committed against their communities.
Uyghur Rights Advocacy Project
The Uyghur Rights Advocacy Project (URAP) played a pivotal role as the referral organization and a key advocate for the M-62 program, highlighting the plight of Uyghurs in East Turkestan and around the world.
“This is only the beginning,” added Mehmet Tohti, Executive director of URAP, “We look forward to welcoming many more refugees in the months and years to come, ensuring they find safety, dignity, and opportunity here in Canada.”
We would like to express our deepest gratitude to the Government of Canada including Immigration, Refugee and Citizenship Canada, for its unwavering commitment to human rights and for providing a haven for the Uyghur and Turkic Muslim communities. Through this resettlement program, Canada has affirmed its leadership in upholding the principles of international human rights law and its dedication to providing protection for the world’s most vulnerable populations.
For media inquiries or more information, please contact:
Mehmet Tohti
Executive Director Uyghur Rights Advocacy Project
mehmet@urap.ca - 613-261-8512