?This designation reflects the importance of this event for our national history and for the way in which it helped to change Canadian immigration policies,? the government said.
?The arrival of thousands of Hungarian refugees helped to shape Canada?s model for the reception of refugees and helped Canadians adopt a more receptive attitude towards immigrants,? said Jim Prentice, Minister of the Environment and Minister responsible for Parks Canada. ?This event of national historic significance opened doors for other refugees wanting to live in Canada,? he added.
With the support of its population, Canada admitted, as immigrants, more than 37,500 Hungarian refugees during the 1956 Soviet invasion of Hungary ? the largest group any country received in proportion to its population. Never before had Canada ensured the selection, transport, and establishment of so many refugees in such a short period of time.
Source: múlt-kor / http://news.gc.ca
