Canada’s secret list of alleged Nazi war criminals
Nov 14, 2024
25:59
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David Pugliese, the Ottawa Citizen’s defence reporter, dives deep into Canada’s hidden history of alleged Nazi war criminals who settled in the country post-WWII. He discusses the fallout of the Canadian government’s refusal to release a secret list of 900 names, unraveling the unsettling realities faced by Holocaust survivors living near these individuals. Pugliese also tackles the complexities of Canada’s immigration policies during the Cold War and highlights specific cases, shedding light on the ongoing implications for justice and accountability.
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Quick takeaways
The Canadian government's long-held secrecy surrounding a list of 900 alleged Nazi war criminals raises serious questions about historical accountability and transparency.
Canada’s post-war immigration policies inadvertently facilitated the entry of suspected war criminals, complicating the nation's moral and historical narrative.
Deep dives
The Concealed List of Alleged War Criminals
A significant issue discussed revolves around a concealed list containing the names of 900 alleged Nazi war criminals who settled in Canada after World War II. This list, found in various government documents, has long been withheld from public scrutiny, despite persistent demands from Jewish groups and historians for its release. Jamie Kersner-Roberts from the Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center emphasized the importance of transparency, arguing that the secrecy around these individuals' identities signals governmental complicity in obscuring historical truths. Many survivors, like Fege Libman, have expressed pain knowing that perpetrators who lived near them were never held accountable for their actions during the war.
Canada's Complicated Immigration History
The episode highlights Canada's post-war immigration policies that inadvertently allowed many alleged Nazi war criminals, including members of Ukrainian Waffen-SS units, to enter the country with minimal scrutiny. Factors such as the Cold War and anti-communist sentiments led to the acceptance of these individuals, as they were perceived as allies against Soviet influence. Historical records reveal that some war criminals were encouraged to immigrate by governmental figures, and background checks were often lacking or ineffective. This lax approach has resulted in a long-standing and controversial legacy of harboring individuals with dark pasts, raising questions about the government’s moral responsibilities.
Impact on Canada's Reputational Landscape
The refusal to disclose the list of alleged war criminals has sparked debates about Canada's historical accountability and the implications for its international reputation. Critics point to the irony that while other countries have made strides in transparency regarding such individuals, Canada continues to face allegations of hiding its complicity. Concerns over geopolitical implications, particularly regarding the current conflict in Ukraine, have led to the government's justification for maintaining secrecy, though this has only fueled suspicion and resentment among advocacy groups. The entire situation underscores the tension between national security interests and the imperative for historical truth, leaving many wondering about the narrative Canada prefers to cultivate.
In the mid 1980s, the Canadian government tasked a commission to investigate whether a considerable number of alleged Nazi war criminals settled in Canada after the Second World War.
The Commission of Inquiry on War Criminals was headed by retired Quebec judge Jules Deschênes. It looked into this issue, but for decades, many of the commission’s findings were not made public.That includes a list of 900 names of alleged Nazi war criminals who lived in Canada, and the files and documents about them.
Last week, Ottawa rejected the freedom of information request to get it released. Officials at Library and Archives Canada said that after a comprehensive review, they decided to withhold the list because it could cause harm to Canadian interests, and international relations.
David Pugliese is the Ottawa Citizen’s defence reporter. He helps us understand who might be on that list, how so many suspected Nazis entered Canada after WWII, and why the Canadian government has not released the names.