Most Libyan Canadians speak Arabic, English or
French. According to the 2020 "Canada national", there were 3,570
Canadians who claimed Libyan ancestry.
Regions with significant populations are Toronto,
Montreal, Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, Ottawa, Winnipeg, Quebec City,
Mississauga.
Introduction / History
Many Libyans today are refugees from the days when Muammar Gaddafi was
killed and his long-standing regime ended. Anyone suspected of
supporting the old regime was suspect; they faced torture or death at
the hands of those who support the new regime. Canada has a long track
record of taking in people who are facing death in their homelands. The
Libyans are no exception.
Where Are they Located?
Most Arabs in Canada live either in Ontario or Quebec. Within these two
provinces, most Arabs live in the cities of Toronto or Montreal. They do
not tend to have their own separate settlements within these cities.
What Are Their Lives Like?
Arabs in Canada are twice as likely as Canadian natives to have a
college degree. Yet there is a higher unemployment rate for people of
Arab descent. Arabs in Canada tend to have lower incomes than the
Canadian locals. On the positive side, Arabs in Canada tend to have a
strong identity with their new nation.
What Are Their Beliefs?
A good percentage of Arabs who flee the Arabic-speaking countries are
Christians. But there are almost no Christians in Libya. Libyan Arabs
are Sunni Muslims, though not all of them practice Islam. Some are more
devout than others.
What Are Their Needs?
Those who follow Christ could see Him glorified among Libyan Arab
Muslims by helping them develop useful job skills for Canada's urban
setting. There is religious freedom in Canada so Libyan Arabs have a
much better chance of hearing about Christ than they would in their own
country. Someone needs to go to them!
Prayer Items
Pray for strong believers in Canada to pursue Libyan Arabs with the love
of Christ.
Pray for Libyan Arabs to find ways to use the Internet to access Bibles
and other materials.
Pray for a church planting movement among Libyan Arabs to begin in
Canada and spread to Libya.
Pray for believers in Canada to help Libyan Arabs develop the language
and job skills that they need.
The Canada-Libya post-revolution bilateral relationship is based on a
mutual interest in promoting democratic governance, respect for human
rights and the rule of law, as well as a desire to strengthen commercial
relations. In July 2014, Canada closed its Embassy in Libya due to
security challenges, and has temporarily relocated its operations to
Tunisia. This measure is not permanent and has no affiliation with our
long-standing diplomatic relations with Libya. We will return to Tripoli
when a secure and stable environment has been restored.
Trade relations
Libya is an OPEC member and has Africa’s largest proven oil reserves and
the ninth largest globally. The country enjoys comparative affluence
within the Middle East and North Africa region and is an important
contributor to the global supply of crude oil.
Bilateral merchandise trade between Canada and Libya was $51.6 million
in 2020. Top Canadian exports to Libya included motor vehicles and
machinery products, while main imports included textiles and food
products. Should stability and security return to Libya, Canadian
companies could contribute to rebuilding efforts and help return
bilateral trade to pre-revolution levels that stood at $270.8 million in
2010.
Libya's political and security situation presents significant challenges
for Canadian companies who wish to do business in the Libyan market.
Despite these challenges, there remain significant commercial
opportunities in Libya for Canadian companies in the oil and gas,
infrastructure and education sectors.
For over 30 years, the Canadian Bureau for International Education (CBIE)
has been managing the Government of Libya’s fully-funded Libyan North
American Scholarship Program (LNASP), which allows Libyan post-secondary
students to pursue higher education in Canada and the United States.
In 2011, through its role in NATO Operation Unified Protector, Canada
was among the first countries to respond to the demands by the Libyan
people for democracy and freedom. The Government of Canada remains
committed to supporting the Libyan people on the path towards peace and
prosperity.
Since 2011, Canada has contributed $54 million towards stabilization and
support for Libya, including $34 million in humanitarian assistance.
Canada also contributed to the Deauville Partnership Middle East North
Africa Transition Fund to strengthen governance and provide an economic
framework for sustainable and inclusive growth in Libya and in several
other countries in the region.
Canada continues to support efforts to build a stable, democratic and
prosperous Libya, in cooperation with the United Nations (UN) and other
international partners. Canada is supportive of ongoing efforts to work
towards political reconciliation in Libya, facilitated by the UN, for
the benefit of all Libyans.
Partnerships and organizations
To develop effective responses to today’s most pressing global
challenges, Canada and Libya work closely in multilateral fora, such as:
International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO)
United Nations (UN)
United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization
(UNESCO)
Canadian Forces Libya Mission Honours - Part 1
Canadian Forces Libya Mission Honours - Part 2
Canadian Forces Libya Mission Honours - Part 3
Canadian Forces Libya Mission Honours - Part 4
Canada to welcome hundreds of refugees from Libya
Libya: Dream of a democratic and prosperous country is
unfulfilled - DPPA Briefing | United Nations
Libya's Ambassador Wishes Canada a Happy 150th!
There were over 1,400
Canadian nationals in Libya, most of whom were working for major
corporations such as SNC-Lavalin and Suncor.
Canada confirms its
readiness to support efforts to achieve stability and development in
Libya 3/12/2024
The Canadian Ambassador to Libya, Isabelle
Savard, has met with the Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibah, to discuss
strengthening and developing bilateral relations between Libya and
Canada in various fields, especially facilitating granting visas to
Libyan citizens, according to our government’s platform.
Savard has affirmed her country keenness to strengthen relations with
Libya and readiness to support efforts aimed at achieving stability and
development in the country.
The meeting touched on the importance of enhancing economic cooperation
and the role of Canadian companies in supporting development and
infrastructure projects in Libya.
The two parties stressed the importance of continuing joint coordination
to develop bilateral cooperation in a way that serves the interests of
both countries.
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Libya Today
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