Canada PM Trudeau delivers formal apology over the fate of St. Louis and passengers
Ottawa, Nov 8 (IBNS): Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has issued a formal apology over the tragic fate of St. Louis and its passengers, who were denied an entry to the country in 1939.
Issuing a statement, Trudeau said: "Today, I rose in the House of Commons to issue a long overdue apology to the Jewish refugees Canada turned away.By issuing this apology, it is my sincere hope that we can shine a light on this painful chapter of our history and ensure that its lessons are never forgotten.
"Anti-Semitism, xenophobia, and hatred have no place in this country, or anywhere in this world. Recent attacks on the Jewish community attest to the work we still have to do. We must always stand up against xenophobic and anti-Semitic attitudes and hate in all its forms.”
On May 13, 1939, MS St. Louis departed Germany with around thousand passengers to seek safety and persecution.
Like Cuba and the United States, Canada also denied all those immigrants an entry to the country due to its "none is too many" policy then.
The refugees were forced to return to Europe, where many of them were condemned to the concentration camps.
Out of the total passengers, 254 were murdered during the Holocaust.
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