Canada welcomes first wave of Syrian refugees

CANADA continues to set an example to the Western world as crowds with welcome signs gather  at Toronto and Montreal airports for  the first wave of Syrian refugees arriving by military aircraft.

Newly elected  Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced in the House of Commons on Wednesday, December 9  that The first flight with an estimated 160 refugees aboard would  arrive in Toronto at 9:15 p.m. ET Thursday, and a second flight will arrive in Montreal Saturday.

“It will be a great day,” the prime minister said, adding the arrivals will send an important message.

“Resettling refugees demonstrates our commitment to Canadians and the world that Canada understands that we can and must do more,” he said.

The refugees, initially reported to be departing from Jordan, will be arriving on flights from Lebanon’s capital, Beirut.

On the eve of those arrivals, Immigration Minister John McCallum said the refugees won’t move to the front of the line for social housing or Canadian citizenship,

The Liberal government is “very sensitive” to some concerns that the new arrivals will have higher priority for jobs, housing or citizenship, McCallum said.

“We do have to be careful that the refugees not be seen to queue jump, if you will,” he said.

With extended waits to gain Canadian citizenship, the refugees will have to apply and wait like everyone else and should not expect it “overnight,” McCallum said.

‘Welcoming attitude’
McCallum said Canadians have a “large welcoming attitude,” and the government must encourage and foster that by acting in a “prudent fashion.”

“It is a balance we have to strike,” the minister said. “On the one hand, I do think a large majority want to welcome these people coming from the scourge of civil war to our country, and make them feel comfortable, help them adjust and hope they will get jobs. But at the same time, we don’t want to put them in a privileged position relative to other Canadians who are themselves working hard to find housing, to become citizens and so on.”

Increased funding

McCallum also announced the government is increasing funding for resettlement assistance services by $3.6 million, in order to welcome refugees not only with “a smile, but also with a roof over their head.”

The minister confirmed that refugees will have full access to basic and supplementary benefits under the interim federal health program.

Yesterday, officials offered the media tours of the special airport terminals in Toronto and Montreal set up specifically to receive incoming flights of refugees.

Canadian officials are on the ground in Lebanon, Jordan and Turkey screening refugees and overseeing the necessary health and security checks before departure.

Despite the new Liberal government’s original ambition to move 25,000 refugees by the end of 2015, the government is now saying only 10,000 will arrive this month, with the rest coming in the first few months of the new year.