“You are home. Welcome home”, Trudeau said to the families arriving in Toronto.
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Even so, Trump claimed in another speech that Syrians entering the US would serve as a “Trojan Horse”, for Islamic State terrorists to slip in and launch attacks on American soil.
“All Canadians are encouraged to join in the efforts to help Syrian refugees flourish in their new communities”.
United Nations refugee spokesman Adrian Edwards says his agency applauds the speedy manner in which Canada is acting in implementing the humanitarian initiative announced late last month.
“I can’t imagine my feelings here, I’m so happy”, he said, tired but smiling, minutes after arriving at the hotel with his wife and son.
“We suffered a lot”, Jamkossian said. “Tonight matters, not just for Canada but for the world”. In Canada, however, they’re being welcomed with open arms.
“Canada’s systems are an expression of support to Syrian refugees; but, notably for us, they are demonstrations too of solidarity to countries in the area that are hosting more than 4 million Syrian refugees”, Edwards said. That did not stop some people from trying; some carried signs, and a reporter found at least one group offering the ultimate Canadian welcome present: Tim Hortons gift cards.
The plane carrying 163 Syrian refugees touched down in Toronto just before midnight on Thursday and will be followed by a second military airlift to Montreal on Saturday.
Andrew Harris, 51, said he wanted to counter the fearful messaging about Muslims that has circulated since the Paris attacks. Formerly Conservative government officials had declined to resettle more Syrian refugees, despite when a drowned 3-year-old Syrian boy washed up on a Turkish beach.
Stefania Dunlop is part of a local group that brought packages for refugees arriving in Canada.
The Canadians are operating in centres in Beirut and Amman, and are collectively putting the stamp on about 800 applications a day, running each family through interviews and conducting security and health checks.
The majority of refugees who arrived Thursday night will remain in Ontario. The majority will stay in Toronto, while others are heading to Columbia and Alberta, reports the Times.
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-The government finally meets its July 2013 promise to resettle 1,300 people, achieving it by increasing the number of government-assisted refugees. In the past, during the 1990s, over 5000 people were airlifted to the country from Kosovo, another 5000 in 1972 from Uganda and 60,000 in 1979-80 from Vietnam.
