This House of Commons subcommittee meeting on international human rights studied internally and externally displaced people worldwide. Witnesses were Ann Fitz-Gerald (Balsillie School of International Affairs), Dr. Ardi Imseis (Queen's University), Michael Lawson (Doctors Without Borders), Meredith Preston McGhie (Global Centre for Pluralism), and Youssef Jai (Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre).
Ann Fitz-Gerald argued that modern conflict is driven by multiple reinforcing pressures—governance fragility, climate stress, and economic exclusion—and that the humanitarian-development-peace nexus is needed to move beyond siloed policy. She noted that attacks on critical civilian infrastructure force displacement into rural and peri-urban areas, complicating humanitarian access, and called for Canada to invest in digital systems, support humanitarian innovation, and advocate for rights-centred approaches that avoid detention and criminalization of displaced people.
Dr. Ardi Imseis focused on Palestine refugees, stating that UNRWA's mandate stems from the UN's permanent responsibility for the question of Palestine and that extending refugee status to descendants is consistent with international law on family unity. He said Israel's ban on UNRWA is unlawful per the International Court of Justice, and urged Canada to pressure Israel to reverse course, support durable solutions including the right of return and restitution, and immediately open its doors to Palestinian refugees fleeing Gaza.
Michael Lawson described the collapse of global humanitarian support systems due to funding cuts, citing Sudan as the largest displacement crisis with 4.5 million people in neighbouring countries and 9.1 million internally displaced. He emphasized that displaced people face trauma, disease outbreaks, and increased risk of gender-based violence, and called on Canada to increase international humanitarian assistance funding in its next budget and to pursue political solutions for protracted situations like the Rohingya in Bangladesh.
Meredith Preston McGhie argued that conflict and displacement arise when societies see diversity as a threat, and that durable solutions require both legal frameworks and social cohesion programs. She highlighted that two-thirds of refugees are in protracted displacement, and that displaced Sudanese youth face structural barriers such as lack of work permits and bank accounts. She recommended that Canada support holistic approaches integrating displaced populations into receiving societies and front-end pluralist strategies in post-conflict returns to avoid renewed cycles of displacement.
Youssef Jai reported that as of end of 2025 there were 82.2 million internally displaced persons globally, with conflict driving a record 32.3 million internal displacements that year—a 60% increase over 2024. He noted that disasters triggered nearly 30 million displacements, and that conflict and disaster triggers often overlap. He called for shifting from short-term humanitarian aid to developmental approaches with strong government leadership, and urged Canada to continue its commitment to solutions for internal displacement, including through the Group of Friends on Solutions to Internal Displacement.
During questions, Dr. Imseis disagreed with a member who questioned UNRWA's practices, asserting that the International Court of Justice found Israel's allegations against UNRWA unsubstantiated. He also stated that Hamas's October 7 attacks on civilians were war crimes and crimes against humanity, but that attacks on legitimate military targets were lawful under international law. The member challenged this, arguing Hamas is a listed terrorist organization and that its actions cannot be justified. A point of order was raised about the witness speaking over the member, and the chair was asked to maintain order.
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