Canadian Parliament – Ashraf
Open Session
Friday, 2 Dec 2011

Scott Armstrong – Canadian Conservative MP
Mr. Speaker, Camp Ashraf in northern Iraq is a makeshift home to political refugees. Those people are opposed to a nearby regime in Iran. Since the fall of Saddam Hussein, they have been protected by US and Coalition forces. However, with the US winding down its operations in Iraq, who is going to protect these people? Iraq has demanded the camp be closed at the end of the month. Can the Minister of Foreign Affairs please inform the House our opinion on what’s going to happen at Camp Ashraf and our acts on this important file?

John Baird – Canadian Minister of Foreign Affairs
Honorable Speaker, if I might say thank you to the Members for their efforts in the Human Rights Sub-Committee. Canada encourages the Iraqi government to extend the closure deadline to allow remaining residents efficient time to take up required steps to seek asylum and to allow the United Nations Human Rights Council to consider and process applications. We call on Iraq to meet its obligations under international law. We also want to ensure that Camp Ashraf residents are not forcibly transferred to another country where they could suffer. I can assure the House that my officials and I will be monitoring the situation very closely.