Had the Liberals insisted on keeping their word, Canada would have admitted in five weeks more than three times the number of government-sponsored, taxpayer-supported refugees it usually lets in during an entire year.
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In addition, overseas humanitarian agencies are struggling to adapt to Ottawa’s evolving operations, details of which were only provided to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees over the weekend.
“We will welcome them with a smile”, McCallum said.
Many refugees have been in Jordan since 2013 and are being selected for resettlement because they are identified as vulnerable for socio-economic or medical reasons.
“This is not about government signing a paper and bringing over refugees, this is a whole of Canada effort”, he said.
The BBC adds gay men and women to the list of Syrians who will be granted refugee status more swiftly. He says churches, universities and whole communities have been pitching in to help raise money, find housing and employment for the refugees. “The potential departure date for those personnel has not been determined …”
Biometric information, including iris scans, is also collected in order to confirm the person’s identity at later stages of the process. They will include a mix of government and privately-sponsored refugees. In addition, Canada will accept up to 10,000 privately-sponsored refugees by the end of February.
‘The important thing is to be able to reassure Canadians that absolutely everything is being done to keep Canadians safe and therefore ensure these refugees are welcomed as new Canadians and not a cause for anxiety or division within the population, ‘ he said in the televised remarks.
One of the biggest political challenges for the government is the fear that militants could sneak into Canada disguised as refugees.
“Economic disaster manifests itself in many ways”, said Trudeau. Canadian officials will likely have to pick up more of the screening burden.
The BBC report seems to simultaneously dispute and confirm CBC’s report, quoting Prime Minister Justin Trudeau saying he rejected the idea of “exclusions” for single men, while Immigration, Refugee, and Citizenship Minister John McCallum declared, “We want them to have a roof over their head, and the right support”. Others said they could not cope with such a heavy flow of new arrivals. “Sorry for letting you down, but we’re working as quickly as we can to fulfill the commitment we made during the election”. “Yes, some resources have been diverted to the priority of Syria, but not resources that would slow down or impede in any way our admissions of refugees from other countries”.
Originally, 25,000 Syrians were to be relocated by December 31, 2015. What is also commendable is that the government is sticking to its commitment to admit 25,000 government-assisted refugees, in addition to whatever numbers are finally sponsored by private groups.
“It needs to be done in layers”, she said.
Ms. McDonnell said she understood the Canadian program would prioritize cases based on need.
Judith Kumin, the former UNHCR representative in Canada, called the plan “wonderful, commendable and ambitious”.
He said the most vulnerable will be accepted first, and families and children fit into that group.
The Liberal prime minister, whose election earlier this month ended nearly a decade of Conservative rule, is to meet with Queen Elizabeth, who is also queen of Canada, at Buckingham Palace.
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The Canadian government is set to spend $450 million settling in the refugees, says the Wall Street Journal.
