Canada’s Humanitarian Tradition: Kosovo Refugee Arrival
Former and current IRCC employees as well as Kosovo refugees recount their positive experience of the 1999 Kosovo Refugee Arrival.
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Transcript: Canada’s Humanitarian Tradition: Kosovo Refugee Arrival
Video length: 1:40
[light music intro]
A light with a small maple leaf shines through a cloud of smoke.
Text displays: “Canada’s Humanitarian Tradition”.
A woman speaks while standing outside a community centre in a rural setting surrounded by a mature forest.
Children play in the background.
Text displays: “Anne-Marie McNeil, former IRCC Employee, Kosovo Refugee Arrival – 1999”.
I was at Greenwood for one of the flights coming in, and the feeling—the atmosphere—that was around the flight with the people coming off, the shaking of the hands, it was a very emotional feeling. And watching them come by…the…the…the elation on their face…the…the happiness that someone actually cares…it was…it was…overwhelming.
A young man speaks standing outside a trailer park as people walk on a path behind him.
Text displays: “Driton, refugee, Kosovo Refugee Arrival – 1999”.
We came here in the morning…last night about 3:00 o’clock, and we were placed here in a barrack with our family. The conditions are far more better here than in the refugee camps in Macedonia. Of course we feel safer here, than there. We are happy to come…to be here.
A young woman speaks standing outside a community centre.
A group of people make their way into a community centre.
Text displays: “Nita, refugee, Kosovo Refugee Arrival – 1999”.
We came here about…Stenkovec from the airplane. Here is so nice. The people is really nice. It’s very good people, very good place. But home is home.
A woman wearing a Citizenship and Immigration Canada golf shirt speaks while seated in an office.
Text displays: “Julie Luneau, IRCC Employee, Kosovo Refugee Arrival – 1999”.
The refugees seem well organized. They have nice big families. It’s impressive because here, in Quebec anyways, you don’t see that often. It’s two or three children. Many times here, they have seven children, with the father and the mother, five children. And the children look happy.
The thing that I can remember most about this experience is that we can be proud about our country, Canada, and about all the collaboration between Red Cross, the army and CIC immigration all across Canada.
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