Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism Minister Jason Kenney annunces Canada’s commitment to resettle uyp to 1,300 Syrian refugees.
Canada has made an initial commitment to resettle up to 1,300 Syrian refugees in 2013 and 2014. The commitment is the latest in a series of actions Canada has taken to provide assistance in the region.
In response to the UN Refugee Agency’s appeal for Canada to resettle a limited number of extremely vulnerable, urgent cases, Canada will resettle 200 extremely vulnerable Syrian refugees through the Government-Assisted Refugees Program in 2013 and 2014.
In addition, Canada has been working with Sponsorship Agreement Holders and has committed to accepting up to 1,100 Syrian refugees in 2014 through the Private Sponsorship of Refugees Program. This number is over and above the current number of resettlement spaces available to Sponsorship Agreement Holders.
Canada has also committed to resettling up to 5,000 refugees out of Turkey by 2018, mainly Iraqis and Iranians.
These efforts will ease the burden on the region, freeing up resources for the current influx of Syrians seeking relief.
The Government of Canada is also expediting the processing of family class applications, to the extent possible, given the difficult circumstances.
