New refugees meet members of Winnipeg Syrian community at holiday event
CBC News | Posted: December 28, 2015 4:01 AM | Last Updated: December 28, 2015
Winnipeg's Syrian community hosted a welcoming party for refugees Sunday night.
"We wanted them to feel welcomed here and to introduce them to their community, [so they] know where to go if they need any help or support," said Tarek Habash, an organizer with the event. "It's a new country, it's a new language ... they were scared of this step that they've just [taken]."
The dinner, put on by the Syrian Assembly of Manitoba, was designed to give newly-landed refugees a chance to meet and mingle with members of the Syrian community who've already been established in the city for some time, Habash said.
"We just try to make them feel comfortable," Habash said. "It's an opportunity for them to socialize and talk to people from their own culture and just give them a chance to ease their hardship."
Eighteen families were named guests of honour, including the Albakars.
Yaser Albakar and his family received a warm welcome from Manitoba Premier Greg Selinger last week at Welcome Place.
Habash said he's received a lot of positive feedback and that the event was a success.
"We're trying to fill this gap and try to help as much as we can for these people to feel that they are in a safe place now, with people [who] care about them and that people are ready to help and support them."
About 90 people from new families and 100 from the established Syrian community attended the event, Habash said.