First Canadian plane of Syrian refugees to arrive today

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will be there to welcome the first arrivals of what will be thousands of refugees that Canada will take in over the upcoming months, the Toronto Star reports.

But the nature of this programs means very little of that is happening before the refugees arrive in Canada and they’ll have to learn as they go.

As the government aims to bring 10,000 refugees to Canada by end of the year and an additional 15,000 by the end of February, 400 Arabic and Kurdish interpreters will be stationed at multiple points of intake in Ontario, Quebec and overseas to facilitate their resettlement.

In Canada less than 10 days, Syrian refugee Rakan Almasri was back at Pearson airport Wednesday night, barely able to contain his excitement. Canadians have been watching your country being torn apart, and know that you’ve been through a terrifying, heartbreaking nightmare.

Those arriving on Thursday were met by sponsors and ordinary Canadians who had come to the airport to greet the much-anticipated newcomers. Canada’s government debt is approaching $1.3 billion with interest accumulating at a very frightening rate.

The flights, carrying a total of about 300 Syrians, will use an Airbus A310 military aircraft.

“Tonight, they step off the plane as refugees but they walk out of this terminal as permanent residents of Canada with social insurance numbers, with health cards and with an opportunity to become full Canadians”.

On Wednesday night, two privately sponsored families who were not part of the airlift arrived at Toronto’s Pearson airport to “cheers” and a warm welcome from their sponsors, CTV News reports. The Canadian government will provide health care, travel expenses and language classes.

These responses are in marked contrast to the “politics of fear” that characterizes mainstream media’s depiction of Canadian responses to the arrival of Syrian refugees. Churches, universities and whole communities have been pitching in to help raise money, and find housing and employment for the refugees.

Unlike Jordan and Lebanon, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees is not active on the ground in Turkey, where almost 2.2 million Syrians live.

Trudeau had made the 25,000-refugee target an important element of his campaign platform as early as last March and doubled down as Canada’s October election approached.

– Then-prime minister Stephen Harper visits a refugee camp in Jordan, one of the main host countries for Syrians.

Most of the refugees will be women, children, elderly people, families and those with injuries or medical conditions.

The government has however been criticised over its decision to exclude unaccompanied, heterosexual, single adult men from the programme over security concerns.