A military aircraft carrying 163 Syrian refugees arrived in Toronto on Thursday, while another is expected to reach Montreal on Saturday, under the newly elected Liberal government's new resettlement programme. The government, headed by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, has pledged to take in 25,000 refugees by the end of February.
Since November 4, more than 416 refugees have come in from Syria, but on private planes. Some of the refugees under the new programme are expected to be sponsored by private groups, while the government is funding the rest, The Atlantic, reported. Trudeau greeted them at the airport, reported Global News Canada.
About 300 Syrians will arrive this week, with Immigration Minister John McCallum saying that all 10 provinces in Canada were in favour of accepting the refugees. “This shows the way we really are. It truly is a non-partisan, national project. About 800 refugees are going through screening tests in Lebanon and Jordan daily,” he said.
Newly elected Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said that resettlement could take longer than anticipated, but they want the refugees to have a roof over their head and the right support. Those who will be considered refugees include families, women at risk, and gay men and women.
“It takes a bit of time to put that all in place. We’re happy to take a little more time than originally planned to bring our new friends into the country.” However, while Trudeau told the BBC he rejected the idea of "exclusion" for single men, it remains to be seen whether Canada will allow them in.
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