Two University of Guelph students were among the Canadians who went to Pearson Airport Thursday to personally welcome the first group of Syrian refugees airlifted to Canada.
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“The mood is really so exciting. People they don’t want to stop – just killing, killing, killing”.
“All my friends are asking about Canada now and how they can come here. They are just (in) tears”, she said. All of the Syrians who have come to Canada so far were privately sponsored, either by individuals or small groups.
According to the New York Times, some conservative leaders disagreed over some of the details of the plan, but politicians and the public alike have largely supported the resettlement of Syrian refugees.
The Prime Minister thanked the staff and volunteers helping to process and welcome the 163 refugees ahead of the arrival of the military aircraft.
“All Canadians are encouraged to join in the efforts to help Syrian refugees flourish in their new communities. Certainly every provincial government has signed on with enthusiasm”, he said.
CN pledged $5 million toward finding affordable, stable housing for refugees, a gesture McCallum called “the platinum standard” for corporate donations.
Trudeau’s Liberal government scaled back the number of Syrian migrants it will accept by year end after the attacks in Paris sparked concern that the election promise to bring in 25,000 by December 31 would not allow enough time for security checks.
“We will be working in coming days to ensure, to do everything we possibly can, working on the ground in Jordan and Lebanon and in Turkey, to ensure the processing goes quickly, to ensure the planes are available”, McCallum said.
“We’re not going to sleep until they get here”, she said outside a Travelodge hotel near Pearson International Airport around 2 a.m. Trudeau and Ontario’s premier welcomed them to Canada and gave them winter coats.
With much coaxing, a exhausted and bewildered little girl finally managed a sweet smile for Prime Minister Justin Trudeau as she was handed a teddy bear.
With just three words, Trudeau made a profound statement about his country’s attitude toward refugees: “You are home”, he said. “But they walk out of this terminal as permanent residents of Canada, with social insurance numbers, health cards, and an opportunity to become full Canadians”. The scale of the Syrian refugee crisis only added to the criticism.
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Canadians eager to show their support for the newcomers were not deterred by the fact that they could not do so face-to-face as the refugees were processed in a secure area. A second flight is scheduled to land in Montreal on Saturday.
