What was the role of the Aga Khan in Trudeau’s acceptance of the Ugandan Asians?
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The Aga Khan played a pivotal role in securing Trudeau’s acceptance of the Ugandan Asians, using his affluence and close friendship with Trudeau to ensure the safety of Ismailis. Many Ismailis had given up their British or Indian passports in exchange for Ugandan ones in an attempt to “reduce tension,” which left them “stateless” after Idi Amin refused to recognize them as Ugandans. As a result, there was a pressing need to find a place for Ugandan Asian Ismailis to belong, where they would not be targeted or forced to leave.
In his negotiations with the Canadian government, the Aga Khan promised that Ismailis would not “become a burden economically or a problem socially for Canada,” thus perpetuating the narrative of the ‘model migrant’ and associating Ismailis with the qualities of being hardworking, self-sufficient, and socially cohesive. He used this to his advantage while advocating for Ugandan Asians to come to Canada, highlighting the “past success of Tanzanian Ismaili immigrants,” which made Ugandan Asian Ismailis a ‘desirable’ type of immigrant.
The Aga Khan also devised “a confidential list [which] was passed to the government, and as people [members of the Ismaili community] turned up, they were checked off.” This indicates that his role was primarily concerned with Ismailis, rather than with Ugandan Asians as a whole. However, as evidenced by the “six thousand” immigrants allowed into Canada, the Aga Khan’s close relationship with Trudeau, as well as his commitment to ensuring the safety of his people, played a crucial role in Trudeau’s acceptance of all Ugandan Asians, who ultimately benefited from the immigration policies that followed the negotiations between Trudeau and the Aga Khan.