Trudeau had promised during the election campaign to resettle 25,000 refugees by the end of year.
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Rather than bring that many people in by year’s end, the resettlement process will now be split in two, with 10,000 to arrive by December 31 and the remainder by the end of February.
“We have been working with all levels of government, stakeholders, non-governmental organizations and service providing organizations as we implement this significant, complex and compassionate humanitarian initiative”, he said.
“I’ve heard Canadians across the country say “yes, you have to do it right and if it takes a little bit longer to do it right than take the extra time”, he said. We will welcome them with a smile, but we will also equip them and their families to begin their new lives here in Canada.
The refugees are expected to be collected from centres in Lebanon, Jordan and Turkey. Our newcomer friends will find jobs and they will make a big contribution to this country.
Those priorities will not apply to refugees brought in through private sponsorship. Trudeau’s predecessor, Conservative Stephen Harper, who lost the election, had declined to resettle more Syrian refugees, despite the haunting image of a drowned 3-year-old boy washed up on a Turkish beach that focused global attention on the migrant crisis stemming from the Syrian civil war.
Refugees will have a security interview with visa officers, including document verification and gathering/checking biometric data, a health screening, and identification checks on departure and arrival.
“Right from day one, our plan was to be diligent”, Goodale said.
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.
When they get to communities they will receive various support, including health care, housing and language training.
It is heartening that, according to McCallum, Canadian cities have actually “oversubscribed” to the call for refugee resettlement, 36 municipalities prepared to take their share and more.
Basic needs and supplies will be provided for by the federal government and the government of Quebec.
A budget of $678 million has been estimated for the resettlement program and integration support over a period of six years.
These are on top of the refugees being processed by the United Nations Refugee Agency.
The opposition Conservative Party said it was pleased Trudeau “had abandoned a timeline that was not workable”.
Trudeau said welcoming refugees is a positive thing for the country. The Liberal platform only booked $250 million for the program.
The government will use privately chartered planes to bring refugees to Canada, with military planes available for backup. The group will be a mix of government-assisted and privately sponsored refugees, all of whom will be identified by the end of next month.
Notes the officials provided as their briefing drew to a close indicated the cost estimate covers only the 25,000 refugees coming to Canada under the Liberal plan.
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Overall, it appears this government has listened to critics who said it was moving too quickly, and to the officials in the many departments responsible for making this happen in an orderly fashion.
