Syrian Refugee Crisis 2015: Canada To Give UN $75 Million In Relief

McCallum said Canada will work with a database of names provided by the United Nations High Commissioner on Refugees and give a higher priority to refugees who are the most vulnerable and present a lower security risk – such as women, children and families. Officials say Canadians have until December 31 to make donations, which will be equaled to a ceiling of US$75 million (CA$100 million).

A poll released over the weekend found that 60 percent of Canadians opposed the plan to bring in 25,000 refugees by the end of the year.

The government also said it is honouring a commitment made by the previous Conservative government to match donations by Canadians to the global relief efforts.

The BBC report seems to simultaneously dispute and confirm CBC’s report, quoting Prime Minister Justin Trudeau saying he rejected the idea of “exclusions” for single men, while Immigration, Refugee, and Citizenship Minister John McCallum declared, “We want them to have a roof over their head, and the right support”.

Dion noted the strain on Lebanon, which has a population of 4.5 million and has absorbed more than a million refugees.

Calgary-based Mainstreet Equity Corp. today offered at least 200 apartments across western Canada to house refugees at a discounted rate.

In the interview, Trudeau said he was “aware that there might be concerns” about Canada’s plan when he sat down with President Barack Obama last week.

“So we are certainly able to welcome 25,000 human beings in the coming weeks and to welcome them well”. “This funding to UNHCR will help to make these decisions a little less hard by helping to meet basic needs”.

He said extending the deadline was a responsible move because it ensures adequate screening can be done overseas before the refugees arrive in Canada.

With B.C. expected to welcome as many as 3,000 Syrian refugees under the Trudeau government’s plan, the director of one of the province’s longest running agencies that provides services to refugees says new arrivals face many new barriers.

Several European countries, including EU members Slovenia and Croatia and non-members Serbia and Macedonia, have declared they will only allow “war-zone refugees” from Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria to transit through their countries on their way to central and northern Europe.

With this announcement, the government says Canada has provided a total of almost $1 billion in aid funding in response to the crisis in Syria.