More than 400 refugees have already arrived on commercial flights since the Liberals took office on November 4.
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Trudeau and Wynne greeted the first two families to come through processing and gave them winter coats.
Trudeau pledged to resettle 25,000 Syrian refugees by the end of this year during his campaign, and he’s making good on that promise, though the deadline has been extended to the end of February 2016.
Louisa Taylor, director of Refugee613 in Ottawa, which is helping coordinate resettlement in the nation’s capital, said: “The demand for refugees far outstrips the supply”.
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. The second family was a man, woman, and three daughters, two of whom are twins.
Canadians eager to show their support for the newcomers weren’t deterred by the fact that they couldn’t do so face to face as the refugees were processed in a secure area.
“Chaim Ifrah and Shai Reef, Jewish Torontonians, wait at terminal one for refugees with a ‘Welcome to Canada” sign. “I don’t let her go, that’s it, she’s stuck”.
Toronto’s mayor tweeted a welcome, while the Toronto Star, the country’s largest newspaper, covered its front page with a “Welcome to Canada” banner headline in English and Arabic, along with an article explaining Canadian weather, ice hockey and slang.
Waiting for Syrian refugees at the airport.
The welcome given to the military flight carrying 163 refugees stands in stark contrast to the United States. Harper’s government insisted Syrian refugees needed to be carefully vetted in case they posed a security threat.
The IOM is providing transport, basic registration, medical screening and logistical support for the operation.
At least 69 communities across Canada are preparing to welcome refugees, according to the government.
In the coming days, CN will join with the Canadian Chamber of Commerce and other Canadian business leaders to direct funds to assist with housing and other needs of Syrian refugees.
One organizer with the Armenian Community Centre, which welcomed 91 refugees, said being a Christian in Syria before the country’s civil war had not been a problem, but that changed after the conflict began. “The most important thing is that Canada is a very safe country and we are very happy that we are here”.
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But that policy was sharply criticized after the death of a 3-year-old Syrian boy, whose body on a Turkish beach became the defining image of the refugee crisis.
