A call for action at the Manitoba legislative building Wednesday had the ear of the provincial government.
The Manitoba Kurdish Association organized a rally that brought about 60 people to the front steps.
They called for the province to accept more refugees from Syria and send more humanitarian supplies to the war zone.
Premier Greg Selinger reiterated last week’s pledge to pressure the federal government to double the amount of refugees allowed in Manitoba each year from 1,500 to 3,000. The province also committed an extra $40,000 to service providers to help refugees relocate.
“We have nothing to be afraid of, everything to gain, by having more people come to Manitoba,” Selinger told the crowd.
People in attendance held photos of Alan Kurdi, the three-year-old Kurdish boy who drowned last week when his refugee boat capsized on the way to Europe. The image thrust the Syrian refugee crisis into the international spotlight.
About 260 Kurds live in Manitoba. Many escaped areas affected by conflict, including Syria, Turkey, Iraq and Iran.
Rally organizer Nour Ali came as a refugee two years ago and said they understand the suffering of current refugees and want them to experience the same freedoms.
“All these people who are running, they're running to die,” he told CTV News. “But they just believe maybe they'll get a chance. And they go to Europe, everywhere. We’d just like to also bring some people here in Canada, too."
After the rally, members of the Kurdish community met with politicians inside the legislative building.
