P.A. woman trying to get family to Canada after Turkey earthquake

By Jaryn Vecchio

A Prince Albert woman has been living a nightmare for more than a week after her family was at the epicentre of the deadly earthquake that hit Turkey and Syria.

Fouz Bozan moved to Canada six years ago as a Syrian refugee, leaving her parents and siblings behind in Turkey.

While her family all survived the earthquake, they ended up losing everything they own, including their home. As soon as the ground started to shake, everyone who was inside the home instinctively ran outside before it crumbled to the ground.

“They don’t have anything — no clothes, no shoes, no blankets, no anything,” said Bozan.

It has left Bozan feeling helpless. The only thing worse was waiting for a phone call from her family she was scared wouldn’t happen.

“I didn’t sleep for about three days and nights,” she said.

She has since had a chance to speak with her parents, but their lack of supplies is just one of the issues they’re currently facing. Bozan explained they’ve been living on the streets for the past nine days while Turkish officials have offered little to no help.

“They have no place to stay and it’s so cold,” she said. “They don’t give them food … they don’t give them anything.”

Bozan didn’t blatantly call the officials racist but did note she believes they aren’t helping her family because they’re Syrian.

Meanwhile, Bozan is trying to get her family to come to Prince Albert.

While it seems they’re willing to move to Canada, it’s currently not a process that can happen overnight.

According to the Canadian Immigration Law Firm, it takes at least six months for someone to legally immigrate to the country. To become a refugee, they would have to prove they’re being persecuted based on race, religion, political opinion, nationality, or membership. A decision on refugee status can take as long as four months.

Bozan wants to see the federal government introduce a similar program that helped Ukrainians move to Canada in a short period of time to avoid Russia’s invasion.

“I hope the Canadian government helps the people impacted come here and have a good life,” she said.

A day after the earthquake, the federal government announced it would contribute $10 million towards relief efforts.