Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, whose Liberal Party won national elections last month, had made hosting the refugees a prominent part of his campaign platform. Pursuant to that commitment, approximately 10,000 refugees had either been processed or were in the final stages of processing.
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Private sponsors have no restrictions on whom they can bring over.
Federal Health Minister Jane Philpott elaborated on the revised plan to bring 25,000 Syrian refugees to Canada over the next three months, saying those who are resettled will be permanent residents upon arrival in the country.
The Sikhs in Lower Mainland – name commonly applied to the region surrounding and including Vancouver, British Columbia – offered help with housing, schooling, food and clothing to the Syrian refugees coming to Canada, CBC News reported on Monday.
Priority for government refugees will be given to complete families, women at risk, members of sexual minorities and single men only if they are identified as gay, bisexual or transgender or are travelling as part of a family.
The government has also shifted its end-of-year target to 10,000 Syrian refugees, with another 15,000 arriving by the end of February 2016. This timeframe will also allow for the completion of the immigration process overseas.
“The fears and politics of division that are being played, in I think a very cynical way, during a United States election year is disappointing, not terribly surprising, but the fact is all the more important, then, for Canada to demonstrate that this is a positive thing”. Refugee settlement is not a seamless process but is it much needed as the global refugee crisis continues to grow.
Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale said screening would include “professional, personal interviews of each applicant [and] checking and rechecking of identification” every step of the way.
The government will use privately chartered planes to bring refugees to Canada, with military planes available for backup. Immigration and Refugee Minister John McCallum said they wanted to do it fast but also want to do it right so they are taking a little bit more time to resettle them.
The Canadian government is set to spend $450 million settling in the refugees, says the Wall Street Journal.
In another sign of the challenges it is facing, Ottawa cut back its commitment to sponsor all 25,000.
With the Red Cross active on the ground in Syria and in countries like Jordan, their signs will be a lone familiar sight for many Syrians as they arrive in Canada.
“Syrian refugees are like most of the other refugees that we take in each year”. “They have a huge task in front of them and they want to do it right”. We know that one of the primary responsibilities of governments is to keep its citizens safe.
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Kumin said the United Kingdom has committed to resettling 20,000 Syrian refugees, but the U.K. doesn’t have the same base of support as Canada or the USA – where there are extensive networks of civil society organizations with experience in resettling refugees.
