The commendation of a one-time Nazi ally, Yaroslav Hunka, in Canada’s Parliament has stirred global condemnation and sparked significant repercussions, leading to the resignation of a paramount parliamentary representative and an apology from Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Trudeau labeled the occurrence, which has reopened wounds related to Canada’s past dealings with Nazi collaborators, “an appalling disrespect to Holocaust victims.”
Notwithstanding, major Jewish organizations in Canada assert that the actions taken thus far are insufficient, and the scandal has reignited a tense nationwide discourse concerning Canada’s past accountability in dealing with Nazi perpetrators, a record that has been routinely deemed as notably tolerant.
Richard Robertson from B’nai Brith Canada expressed that, “More than an apology is required,” underscoring a need for tangible actions from the government that have been long awaited.
B’nai Brith is intensifying an ongoing initiative, encouraging the Canadian administration to disclose the entirety of a multipart report from the Deschênes Commission of 1986, which investigated Canada’s tactics regarding Nazi war criminals who relocated to the nation post-World War II. Critical findings from the report, such as the names of alleged Nazi war criminals, have been kept under wraps for decades.
Additionally, the organization is advocating for the total publication of an extensively redacted associated report penned by historian Alti Rodal, which explores Canada’s nonchalant and at times, resistant stance towards legal proceedings against Nazi perpetrators, who were often allowed entry into Canada with minimal scrutiny by immigration authorities.
Roberson emphasized the necessity of these records being made public to comprehend and begin a healing process from Canada’s past, especially considering its notably stringent immigration policies towards Jewish refugees from Europe before and after the Holocaust.
The Jewish human rights organization is not isolated in its pursuit for enhanced accountability following the Canadian lawmakers’ unintentional applause for Hunka, a former Ukrainian Nazi, during a session in Parliament amid Ukrainian President Volodomyr Zelensky’s recent visit to Ottawa.
Subsequent to condemnation from Jewish groups, Anthony Rota, the prior speaker of the House of Commons, offered an apology for extending an invitation to Hunka and tendered his resignation amidst growing demands for him to step down. Meanwhile, Trudeau, also under scrutiny for his participation, described the incident as “deeply mortifying” for both the Parliament of Canada and all Canadians.
This incident has accentuated what critics have portrayed as an increasingly evident necessity for the Canadian government to publicly confront its own practices towards Nazi collaborators and war criminals. “Canada should disclose more about Nazi immigration to Canada and bring war criminals to justice,” urged Günther Jikeli from the Institute for the Study of Contemporary Antisemitism at Indiana University.
Rodal voiced that it’s “high time for the Canadian government to release an unredacted version” of the auxiliary report she prepared nearly four decades ago for the Deschênes Commission.
Canada’s Department of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship stated that the government is “conscious of requests for the release of the full report of” the Deschênes Commission and will explore if any additional information can be disclosed, in compliance with the Privacy Act and national security-related requirements.
Academics and activists are eagerly awaiting the complete release of the reports, while others suggest that establishing a Canadian “truth commission” might provide further transparency that “would be beneficial not only for academic research but also for promoting justice,” as stated by Ivan Katchanovski, a political scientist at the University of Ottawa.