The government will now bring in 10,000 Syrian refugees by December 31 and an additional 15,000 by the end of February. However, Prime Minister Trudeau and the Liberal government have wisely extended to the end of 2016 the time-frame in which this will be accomplished.
Advertisement
The Liberal government’s decision to extend the timetable for resettling Syrian refugees by two months, in the face of clear evidence that the original plan was overly ambitious and impractical, is what we should expect in a democracy.
Bibeau said the needs of those affected remain great and therefore the Government of Canada is asking Canadians to help support humanitarian efforts on the ground through the Syria Emergency Relief Fund. For every eligible dollar donated by individual Canadians to registered Canadian charities, the government will match these contributions by providing support to experienced global and Canadian humanitarian organizations using effective and established channels and procedures.
In addition, support agencies have said that they will need extra funding, but they are ready for the influx once the refugees start arriving. This is particularly important now in light of the recent Paris massacre. Scaling down the numbers and modifying the screening process was the right thing to do.
In an email Thursday, Citizenship and Immigration said Minister John McCallum put the number of permanent residence visas that have been processed for Syrian refugees at just over 900, but said that in some cases exit visas have not been obtained. “But it’s never a reason not to do it, and it can always be handled responsibly”, he said. The House of Representatives has even stepped in, passing legislation that if enacted, will, to all intents and purposes, make it impossible to admit the refugees.
According to CBC News, the Canadian government will “limit those accepted into Canada to women, children, and families only”, due to “some ongoing concerns about security”.
She says she hopes to see between one-third and one-half of the 25,000 coming out of Lebanon, a country where 70 per cent of Syrians live below the poverty line.
“There’s so much goodwill, from the Canadian side and from our team here, hopefully everything goes smoothly”, McDonnell said.
The scope of the military’s role has been altered as well; Operation Provision is no longer focused on an immediate requirement to arrange housing for thousands of people, potentially for months and instead the Canadian Forces will be called upon only if needed.
Advertisement
Mohammed Adam is an Ottawa writer.
