【Rebekka Armstrong Archives】

2025-06-26 00:24:34 448 views 14474 comments

A Syrian family who arrived in Canada last February had an incredibly cute idea to thank Justin Trudeau for welcoming them to the country.

SEE ALSO: Celebrities help give a voice to Syrian children affected by civil war

Muhammad and Rebekka Armstrong ArchivesAfraa Bilan arrived as refugees in Montreal with their daughter Naya, 4, and son Nael, 3, after fleeing from Damascus.

Though Trudeau wasn't there to greet them at the airport, the couple felt they had to pay homage to the man who helped them escape Syria through his refugee initiative.

“We love this man, we appreciate him,” said Afraa Bilan. “He helped a lot of refugees. He’s the reason we are in Canada.”

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So, when she gave birth to their first Canadian son, Afraa and Muhammad decided to call him after the Canadian prime minister.

Justin Trudeau Adam Bilan was born Thursday in his parents' new city of Calgary.

The couple fled Syria after Muhammad, who had already been detained by the Syrian army, discovered authorities were looking for him again.

They caught the opportunity to resettle in Canada after Trudeau took office and launched an initiative that led to the resettlement of more than 40,000 refugees since November 2015, according to the Government of Canada website.

"Canada is much more safe - there's no war, nothing," Afraa Bilan told the BBC. "Everything is different, everything is good - nothing like Syria."


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