Canada Extends Deadline To Accept Syrian Refugees

Alexander unveiled a new Syrian refugee policy that built upon the Conservatives’ otherwise reasonable approach to the crisis by incorporating the best bits of both the NDP and the Liberal formulae. “It’s about landing people properly and integrating them…”

November 24, 2015 – Ottawa, ON – The Government of Canada is taking immediate action to welcome 25,000 Syrian refugees to Canada as quickly as possible, through a five-phase national plan.

More than 3,000 Syrian refugees have already arrived in Canada since January 2014.

At a televised press conference in the capital of Ottawa, Immigration and Refugees Minister John McCallum said the deadline was pushed back because of the intricacies involved – settlement, housing, medical services, etc.

The USA plans to take 10,000 over the next year.

Any refugees earmarked to move to Canada will be screened before arrival.

BBC reports that “robust” health and security screenings that will be done overseas were promised by government officials. It does include transportation costs for the privately-sponsored refugees; usually, their hosts bear that financial burden. The majority of these will be finalized in the coming weeks. Security was a concern that Canadians had when we were welcoming impoverished East African refugees who then turned around in the Ismaili community and contributed untold success and growth to Canada.

Tuesday’s announcement could raise alarm in the US, where many Republican governors have said they don’t want any Syrian refugees.

United States: The UN has so far submitted 22,427 Syrian refugees to the United States for resettlement consideration.

Brad Wall, the Conservative premier of Saskatchewan province, had said he had problems with the original deadline of bringing 25,000 refugees by December 31 for security reasons, but said he believed Canada should welcome the refugees.

Since the beginning of the conflict in Syria, Canada has contributed more than $800 million to support stabilization efforts, provide development assistance, contribute to humanitarian efforts, and enhance security.

He said the UNHCR’S commissioner, Antonio Guterres, appealed to all “willing” countries to create programs and legal avenues to allow refugees to go to safe countries.

“And so essentially this is what we are going to be doing”. “So it’s the whole system”, McCallum said. “We want them to have the right supports for language training and for all the other things that they need to begin their life here in Canada”, he added. Not all countries accept United Nations refugees for resettlement.

Canada’s commitment reflects the change in government after last month’s election.

“Getting this done right has always been what we are focused on”.

“He has pointed out there is more of a security risk from tourists than refugees”. He must also replace Canada’s aging F-18 fighter jets, but his mandate makes no mention of the keeping the expensive stealth fighter F-35 off the contenders list.

The other 200 will be privately-sponsored refugees, who may settle wherever in B.C. they are sponsored, though ISS of B.C. did not have those details yet.