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The Executive Director of the Campaign for Uyghurs, Rushan Abbas, has called on Canada to honour its 2023 pledge to resettle 10,000 Uyghurs fleeing persecution in China, warning that delays are leaving vulnerable members of the community exposed to detention, deportation and imprisonment.
In a post on X, Abbas said Canada had committed in 2023 to resettling 10,000 Uyghurs, describing the announcement at the time as a source of hope for a community that had faced years of persecution. However, she claimed that nearly three years later, fewer than 300 Uyghurs had arrived in Canada under the initiative. Abbas said the gap between Canada's commitment and the number of people actually resettled has left Uyghurs who fled China waiting in countries where, according to her, their safety cannot be guaranteed. She warned that Uyghurs unable to secure a safe route to a third country could face detention or deportation to China, where they could be imprisoned by Chinese authorities. Abbas cited her own family's experience, saying her sister, Dr Gulshan Abbas, remains imprisoned in China. Abbas has previously said that her sister disappeared in September 2018 and was later confirmed by Chinese authorities to have been sentenced to prison on alleged terrorism charges. "For Uyghurs living in uncertainty, sanctuary in Canada could mean the difference between freedom and persecution," Abbas said in her post, calling on Ottawa to act on its earlier commitment. She argued that Canada had made a promise to Uyghurs seeking safety from what she described as the Chinese regime and should now ensure that the resettlement commitment is implemented. Abbas has been a prominent international advocate for the Uyghur community and has repeatedly raised concerns over the treatment of Uyghurs in China. (ANI)
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