Efforts by a local committee to bring a Syrian refugee family to this community are being hampered by the chaotic political situation in Turkey.
While no arrival date has been set, June McDonald of the Minto Refugee Settlement Committee (MRSC) says everything possible has been done and approved from the government perspective, at both ends of the project.
“Now it would seem the whole process has ground to a halt due to the state of affairs in Turkey,” said McDonald in an email to the Advertiser.
However, she notes the committee does have the name of the family – Almohamad – and the names of all eight members, and on Saturday was able to place a call by cell phone right to their tent in the camp near Ankara.
“Ahmed, (the father) answered, and we could hear the voices of the children in the background,” said McDonald.
“Suddenly, all those months of paperwork and planning and waiting became real in a whole new manner.
“The interpreter, Julie Boonstra, did a wonderful job, and as we listened to Ahmed pour out his requests for us to try and speed up the whole process, we realized how frustrated they were as well.”
The committee is still looking for an appropriate house for the family in Harriston or Palmerston, with two to four bedrooms.
McDonald notes the rent will be guaranteed for one year by the settlement committee.
