TORONTO (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 27th May, 2021) Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Thursday issued an apology on behalf of the Federal government for the internment of Italian Canadians during World War II.
"I rise in this house today, to issue an official apology, on behalf of the Government of Canada, for the internment of Italian Canadians during the Second World War," Trudeau said during a special sitting of the House of Commons.
Trudeau said Canadians of Italian heritage have helped shape Canada and they continue to be an invaluable part of the diversity that makes the country strong.
"Today, as we acknowledge and address historical wrongs against the Italian Canadian community, we also show our respect for their great contributions to our country," he added.
Following Fascist Italy's entry into World War II as an ally to Nazi Germany over 600 Italians were interned in camps under wartime regulations. In total, approximately 31,000 Italian Canadians were declared "enemy aliens" and had to report to local registrars on a monthly basis.
Former Prime Minister Brian Mulroney was the first Canadian leader to acknowledge the injustice during a meeting with the Italian diaspora in 1990, according to a press release from the Prime Minister's Office.
Canada is presently home to approximately 1.6 million Canadians of Italian descent.
