#WelcomeRefugees

Below we provide a timeline of the occurring events by month, as Canada prepares to welcome refugees from Syria.

September 2016
More communities are preparing to welcome Syrian refugees. The IRCC states, “The Municipality of Chatham-Kent in Ontario applied to become a “Welcoming Community” through the Community Partnership Settlement Plan process and was recently accepted.” The CIC also stated the government is currently conducting research on issues for resettlement for Syrian refugees. “Immigration helps build our society, culture and economy in long-lasting ways. The research that will be undertaken, thanks to the investments announced today, will help ensure that Canada’s settlement programs provide the best possible supports to newcomers and refugees to help them integrate into their communities and thrive,” said Minister McCallum.

 

June 2016
In June, the government released a table showing approximate expenditures for resettling Syrian refugees. The table shows estimates at each of the different 5 phases refugees must go through. The table shows the total amount spent so far is at $319.1 million, less than the planned $136 million. The government expects to spend $678 million in the next 6 years. According to the Government of Canada web page, “The total amount was an estimate of the work required of the Government of Canada and its partners to fulfill this commitment and included contingency funds and amounts for partners such as the Canadian Red Cross and the International Organization for Migration (IOM).”

 
 
 
May 2016
As of May 15, 2016, Canada has welcomed 27,190 Syrian refugees.
Government-supported and privately sponsored refugees have arrived at multiple communities, with more scheduled to come in the next months.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
April 2016
Four more communities have joined the plan to resettle Syrian refugees. “Today’s announcement is another great example of Canadians working together to welcome refugees, giving them the tools and support they’ll need to be able to properly settle and contribute to their new communities,” said John McCallum, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship.
 
 
 
 
 
 

 
 
Feb. 2016
Many communities across Canada have been invited to apply to show assistance to refugees. The city of Victoria has been added to the list of Resettlement Assistance Program (RAP) providers. Sydney and Nova Scotia will also join Victoria, as they are on track to join RAP as providers. Canada has successfully reached their commitment goal of 25,000.

 

 

 

Jan. 2016
Surpassing 10,000 refugees to arrive in the country in January, Canada is closer to their 25,000 goal. Canada hopes to reach their goal by the end of February 2016. The CIC website states “Today, Syrian Family Links was launched to help connect Syrian refugees abroad with private Canadian sponsors through the help of the refugee’s family in Canada.
Through this initiative, Syrians in Canada can identify family members who are refugees in Lebanon, Jordan or Turkey and help link them with local sponsorship groups in Canada who are seeking someone to sponsor.”

 

 

Dec. 2015
After forums and discussions on bringing Syrian refugees to their new home Canada, the first flight of refugees arrived on Dec. 10, 2015. A total of 163 Syrian refugees arrived at Toronto’s Pearson International Airport. Canada has pledged $5 million to assist Syrians. Throughout the month more syrian refugees arrived on private and chartered flights.”I’m proud of the hard work that has been done quickly to resettle as many Syrian refugees as possible to Canada. We have processed more than 10,000 Syrian refugees, and 6,064 will have arrived. We will continue to work hard to bring in the remainder to Canada as quickly as possible. We also met our commitment to identify all 25,000 Syrian refugees to come to Canada as part of the #WelcomeRefugees initiative,” said Minister McCallum.

 

 
Nov. 2015
Nine Cabinet ministers have created a Cabinet Ad Hoc Committee to assist Syrian refugees to come Canada. “According to the CIC The UN Refugee Agency sent the first SMS text messages to registered Syrian refugees in Jordan and Lebanon to determine which refugees are interested in coming to Canada,” says the Canadian government. Towards the end of November, CIC has created a five phase plan to welcome refugees. The plan CIC has strategized is to welcome 25,000 Syrian refugees to resettle in Canada. Ministers met with Jordan refugees and experienced first-hand the situation.