Why did Stephen Harper’s government face criticism over Syrian refugee policy in 2015?

During the 2015 federal election campaign, the government of Stephen Harper faced significant criticism regarding its policy on refugees from the Syrian Civil War.

The Harper administration argued that increasing the number of Syrian refugees permitted to immigrate to Canada posed a security risk, specifically citing the potential threat of allowing Islamist terrorists into the country. Critics condemned this stance, arguing that it stoked divisive "us-versus-them" politics and reinforced anti-immigrant fears. This controversy occurred alongside other immigration-related tensions, including Harper's use of the term "old-stock Canadians" during a debate and the government's legal challenge regarding the wearing of niqabs during citizenship ceremonies, both of which drew accusations from political opponents that the government was promoting exclusionary rhetoric.1