Not many people actually *want* to leave their homeland. They also don't want to be bombed out or live in a tent with no water. Many people who come here are escaping something truly awful. With the current political climate in the US, I often wonder why anyone would want to immigrate there. But even as bad as it seems to me, it's still better than where they were coming from.
Maybe it's because I have traveled to other parts of the world, but I can envision at least a tiny portion of what that could be like. If I was forced to move to another country for my safety, I would likely feel defeated pretty quickly. I may not speak the language (not because I don't want to, I just haven't learned it yet and had to flee in a hurry) and that is a huge disadvantage. The customs are different, the rules and laws different. Things I took for granted as "the way things are done" may need to be totally revisited, and the older you are, the harder that is. If I tried to start a business, I may be met with racism, red tape, and many other obstacles. I might be accused of stealing jobs, when all I wanted to do was to be safe and not shot at on a daily basis. I may have a high level of education or valuable specialty, but I can't get a job in my field because my credentials are not recognized.
Every individual who comes here has his/her own story. They had reasons for coming here that are valid and understandable. The key is to look at it as an individual and not as a group: don't look at it as a bunch of Syrians taking up housing and jobs. Look at it as Abbud and his wife & kids escaping a war-torn area. You've talked to him, you know his story, it sounded like an awful place to be, but he immigrated here and is now trying to adjust to a new life. I am hard pressed to think that most Canadians would not be friendly to Abbud if they talked to him and knew him on this level.
We need more compassion. We have a big country with plenty of room to share. There's no need for us to hog it when we can help others escape a bad situation. Remember the Golden Rule: Do unto others and you would have them do unto you.
