Immigration and refugees B次元官网网址� perhaps not top-of-mind issues for many Canadians when the election was called on Aug. 2.

But the recent crisis overseas has pushed those issues into the media spotlight, particularly in light of the horrific images of drowned toddler Aylan Kurdi face down on a Turkish beach, which have struck a chord with many in this country.

All four Cowichan-Malahat-Langford federal candidates believe itB次元官网网址檚 time to act on whatB次元官网网址檚 been described over and over as a heartbreaking and tragic situation.

Liberal candidate Maria Manna said Canada has a long history of welcoming immigrants.

B次元官网网址淚B次元官网网址檓 first-generation Canadian. My parents are immigrants from Italy,B次元官网网址� she said. B次元官网网址淲e are this beautiful melting pot of wonderful cultures.B次元官网网址�

The Liberal Party wants to invest at least an additional $100 million this fiscal year to increase refugee processing, as well as sponsorship and settlement services capacity in Canada. The party has also promised to provide an immediate $100 million contribution to the United Nations High Commission for Refugees to support critical relief activities in Syria and the surrounding area.

B次元官网网址淛ustin Trudeau has agreed to bringing in 25,000 refugees within the next four years,B次元官网网址� Manna said. B次元官网网址淲e also agree that they need to go through a proper screening process. ItB次元官网网址檚 not just opening up the floodgates.B次元官网网址�

She added that Trudeau wanted to put politics aside and work together as Canadians to come up with a solution.

B次元官网网址淗e extended to Mr. Harper, Mr. Mulcair and Ms. May to come together in collaboration to discuss the best course of action for Canada moving forward and develop a concrete, cross-partisan plan for the weeks and months ahead, but we havenB次元官网网址檛 heard anything,B次元官网网址� she said.

Conservative candidate Martin Barker said tens of millions of people are affected by the crisis.

B次元官网网址淚t is truly a tragedy and our hearts go out to all of those touched by this heartbreaking situation,B次元官网网址� he said.

But, he noted, Canada has one of the most generous immigration and refugee systems in the world, admitting more people, per capita, than any other, he said.

B次元官网网址淒uring the lifetime of the past government we have had 2.5 million new arrivals in Canada,B次元官网网址� Barker said. B次元官网网址淔or many there are a number of reasons they come to Canada such as family reunification, for humanitarian and compassionate grounds and of course refugee situations. We have accepted tens of thousands of refugees from the Middle East and we will accept more. That being said, refugee policy alone will not solve the problem.B次元官网网址�

He said Canadians should be proud of the foreign aid (food, water, relief items and education access) contributed to the humanitarian crisis in the Middle East.

Green Party candidate Fran Hunt-Jinnouchi said leader Elizabeth May and their party, too, have a strong humanitarian focus, but more needs to be done B次元官网网址� and right now.

B次元官网网址淲e have a proud history of humanitarians and striving for diplomacy and being a country of peacekeepers, so thatB次元官网网址檚 why I support a strong military, not for war, but for cases like this, humanitarian efforts,B次元官网网址� she said. B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 something that weB次元官网网址檙e lagging behind in our country and we require leadership. WeB次元官网网址檙e very supportive, for sure, to deal with this immediately.B次元官网网址�

Hunt-Jinnouchi called the current efforts B次元官网网址渟hameful.B次元官网网址�

B次元官网网址淚 think we only need to put ourselves in the positions of the people B次元官网网址� theyB次元官网网址檙e not leaving their countries because they want to leave their countries, theyB次元官网网址檙e leaving because of air strikes and war,B次元官网网址� she said. B次元官网网址淭he Green Party would like to accept 40,000 Syrian refugees over the next five years. We have a strong history of welcoming immigrants and celebrating diversity and that needs to be upheld. ThatB次元官网网址檚 definitely a role that the Green Party will continue to advocate for.B次元官网网址�

Having spent seven years working in NDP MP Jean CrowderB次元官网网址檚 office, New Democrat candidate Alistair MacGregor saw bureaucracy at work.

B次元官网网址淚 was actually personally and intimately involved in a few private sponsorships of refugees and I know how heart-wrenching these sponsorships are,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淭he bureaucracy you have to go through is just a nightmare when youB次元官网网址檙e dealing with these types of situations, so I am personally motivated to make the system better just from what IB次元官网网址檝e experienced.B次元官网网址�

MacGregor said the NDPB次元官网网址檚 refugee and immigration plan begins even before the election.

B次元官网网址淲e have proposed and offered to work with the sitting government on this. We want to get 10,000 government-sponsored refugees out of harmB次元官网网址檚 way by the end of this year,B次元官网网址� he said.

In the longer term, he said, the NDP would like to see all the private sponsorships be fast-tracked with no caps on them and bring as many people as possible to Canada.

B次元官网网址淚 think we wanted to set targets of about 9,000 per year over the coming years,B次元官网网址� he said.

He said CanadaB次元官网网址檚 birth rate isnB次元官网网址檛 keeping up with future job demands and many Syrian refugees in particular are well educated and could bring needed skill-sets with them to Canada.

B次元官网网址淚 think that with a bit of assistance from our government, they could integrate into our society well,B次元官网网址� he said.

editor@goldstreamgazette.com