The Liberal platform said it would “expand Canada’s intake of refugees from Syria by 25,000 through immediate government sponsorship”.
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That was one of the promises made by Trudeau during his political campaigning leading to the October 19 elections that saw him and his party clinching 184 seats, one of the most outstanding victories in recent Canadian history.
When they arrive in Canada, refugees will temporarily be housed in former military barracks, vacant hospitals or hotels and also with families who have volunteered to sponsor refugees.
The need for more time was chief among Immigration Minister John McCallum’s messages when he announced the plan. “This is a wonderful humanitarian gesture by all Canadians”.
One important wrinkle in the plan is its emphasis on bringing over families, children and women. It will prioritize single adult men only if they are gay, bisexual or transgender, or if they are accompanying their parents.
“Across the country, Canadians have been saying that we should do more to help Syrian refugees”.
“This is not about security”.
As he sat down with the Conservative United Kingdom leader, Trudeau noted they’d be discussing the “very real security concerns that we’re all faced with around the world and at home”.
That was on top of the ongoing resettlement of Syrians refugees that began in 2013.
The Liberals first commitment to a large-scale resettlement program during the federal election promised to resettle 25,000 people by the end of the year.
The government will identify all 25,000 refugees to come to Canada by December 31, 2015. “We are not accepting refugees, we are welcoming new Canadians”.
Repatriation used to be the preferred solution for refugees fleeing conflicts, but repatriation isn’t much use in the case of conflicts that drag on for years with no solution in sight.
In a statement released during his visit to London, Mr Trudeau said of meeting the Queen as a youngster: “She was always lovely and gracious”. Canada has also pledged to take refugees of all faiths.
But despite the seemingly last-minute changes, all say the effort remains essential and just as urgent. “On the contrary, he was effusive in his support of what we’re doing”, said Trudeau. “We’re happy to take a little more time that originally planned to bring our new friends into the country”.
“Welcoming others, newcomers, was part of their life, whether they (Canadian people) knew them or not”.
“If there was someone in Canada that wanted to get into the United States illegally or bring something into the United States illegally, it could be done”, he said.
Critics said the initial plan was too ambitious and would lead to rushed security procedures, especially in the wake of the November 13 attacks in Paris for which Islamic State claimed responsibility.
But national leaders – including U.S. President Barack Obama -attending the G20 and APEC summits last week insisted that what happened in Paris should not be linked to assisting refugees.
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“Now, we understand that all of the refugees coming here will have permanent residency so that in terms of the amount of time required for them to reside in an interim facility, that dramatically reduces that time”, said Ontario Health Minister Eric Hoskins.
