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Canada outlines five-phase plan to resettle 25,000 Syrian refugees

Xinhua, November 25, 2015 Adjust font size:

Canada will resettle 10,000 Syrian refugees by the end of this year and 15,000 more by the end of February through a five-phase national plan, Canadian Immigration Minister John McCallum said Tuesday.

At a joint press conference by Canadian ministers of immigration, defence, security and health in Ottawa Tuesday afternoon, McCallum said they are taking a little bit more time to process and resettle the refugees because they wanted to get it done fast but also right.

The five phases are identifying Syrian refugees to come to Canada, selecting and processing Syrian refugees overseas, transportation to Canada, arrival and welcoming in Canada, and settlement and community integration.

Canada will be working closely with the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) to identify registered Syrian refugees who can be resettled. Canada's focus will be on identifying vulnerable refugees who are a lower security risk.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who was sworn in on Nov. 4, promised during campaign to resettle 25,000 refugees in Canada by the end of this year but faced some pushback following the deadly attacks in Paris.

Out of the 25,000 refugees, 15,000 will be sponsored by the Canadian government and the rest by private sponsors.

Canada will prioritize full families, women in vulnerable positions, and single men, unless they are gay, or are accompanying parents to Canada, who will then be turned away.

The refugees will be flown to Toronto and Montreal, largely on chartered aircraft. Military aircraft will assist if needed.

Canadian Defense Minister Harjit Sajjan said military barracks are being prepared only as a precaution if temporary accommodations are needed.

Most of the refugees will initially be housed in military bases, and other kinds of housing will also be used, including hotels and abandoned hospitals.

A report by the Canadian Press Tuesday estimated that the government refugee resettlement plan would cost 1.2 billion Canadian dollars (about 900 million U.S. dollars).

The Syrian refugees will come from Lebanon, Turkey and Jordan, which have taken in the vast majority of fleeing Syrians so far. Endi