Some U.S. governors said their states would not accept Syrian refugees. Approximately 300 privately sponsored Syrian refugees are expected to land in Canada via these two flights.
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A Canadian military plane with 163 Syrian refugees on board is on its way to Toronto carrying the first batch of refugees for resettlement in Canada.
The first Canadian government plane carrying Syrian refugees left Lebanon on Thursday morning, with 160 men, women and children onboard, set to begin a new life halfway around the world.
Private groups will support them upon their arrival in Canada, CBC added, though the government will pay for their transportation, initial medical costs, and arrival expenses.
Upon arrival, all refugees will be checked for signs of illness under the Quarantine Act and will be treated accordingly.
“I am heartened to see Canadians come together to welcome the Syrian refugees”.
“We have great hopes for the success of this group of people that are arriving and their families as they build their new home here in Canada”, said Arif Virani, the parliamentary secretary for immigration.
A second flight is expected to arrive on Saturday.
Mazen Khabbaz, 46, and his brother Ziad Khabbaz, 48, both embraced Rakan Almasri, who had waited with the crowd for more than four hours in order to welcome them.
“They’re leaving behind their whole life”, Smiljanic, whose own parents fled the war in the former Yugoslavia in 1993 was quoted by The Toronto Star as saying. A total of 41 per cent of people think they will not have a positive impact and 27 per cent don’t know if they will.
“We live in a house and we do have the space for everyone”.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is on hand to welcome them at a temporary processing centre at Pearson International Airport.
He also said recent elections in Turkey slowed the refugee processing there and it is unlikely any refugees now there will go to Canada by the end of 2015, iPolitics reported.
“It’s been a long trek, but you are no longer refugees”, the editorial said.
“This helps ease the refugee crisis and the pressure on the health care, education and infrastructure there”.
Pearson airport posted to Facebook Thursday afternoon requesting eager greeters and well-wishers stay home in light of safety and security concerns. We have to show that we do want them here.
– The number of people registered as refugees from Syria or being assisted by the United Nations hits one million.
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But Immigration officials in Canada say they are doing everything possible to ease the integration of thousands of displaced families into communities where they will have the support of resettlement agencies and ordinary Canadians who are giving their money and their time to make the transition work.
