Canada’s new Liberal government is making good on its promise to help out in the Syrian refugee crisis, with Minister of Immigration and Refugees John McCallum reaffirming that the government plans to resettle 25,000 Syrian refugees by the end of 2015.
“We are determined to bring refugees here quickly, but we are also determined to do it right in terms of security and in terms of health,” McCallum said. “This is the right thing to do. It is the Canadian way.”
Multiple housing units at CFB Kingston will be cleared by November 30 to house the refugees, according to an internal memo obtained by CTV News. The orders will affect some officer cadets attending the Royal Military College, many of them getting ready to take exams.
However, while the memo gave troops three days to clear out, it does not say where military personnel will be staying, although it does say a safe place will be found for the service members.
CTV News is also reporting their sources say several bases across Canada are gearing up to receive refugees, with a maximum space available for about 12,000 newcomers. CTV News reported earlier this month some details of a government document entitled “Operation Syrian Refugees.”
According to the document, about 900 refugees from Lebanon, Jordan and maybe Turkey could be arriving in Toronto and Montreal as soon as December 1. The document also names Cornwall, Ontario and Trois-Rivières, Quebec as possible sites for resettlement.
CBC News is saying today the final plans for the resettlement of refugees will be announced on Tuesday. Meanwhile, Canadian authorities have already been working on screening and processing people in Lebanon. In the past six weeks, Canadian authorities have been screening 100 people a day, working to reach their goal of 25,000 refugees.
Sources have told CBC News that with ongoing security fears surrounding unaccompanied males, they will not be accepted into the Canadian refugee program. Only unaccompanied women, children and families will be allowed to enter the country.
The refugee response has turned into a billion-dollar project. CBC News is saying that figures reported by The Canadian Press on Friday indicated that the refugee project will cost $876.7 million for this first year alone.
