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The Canadian government has turned down the latest plea for an apology to British children who endured abuse while in the country.
According to a report on Sky News, advocates for youngsters who were sent to Canada from the UK during the 19th and 20th centuries have urged Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to acknowledge and apologize for their mistreatment.
However, Trudeau's administration has rejected the request, a move that campaigners argue exacerbates the historical injustice.
Between 1869 and 1948, approximately 115,000 children, known as British Home Children, were relocated to Canada. They were often exploited as cheap labor on farms or as household servants, facing widespread mistreatment and abuse.
While the UK and Australia have formally apologized for their roles in the deportation of British children to harsh conditions abroad, Canada has yet to follow suit.
The Canadian government acknowledged the poorly supervised living and working conditions that left these children vulnerable to abuse and discrimination.
In response to the petition, the government highlighted its efforts to acknowledge the experiences of Home Children, such as the 2017 adoption of an apology by the House of Commons to the British Home Children and their descendants.
However, campaigners argue that these actions fall short of the formal apology they seek, similar to those issued by the UK and Australia.
[With information sourced from Sky News]
