By Susana Mas, CBC News | Link to Article
Immigration groups are urging the Canadian government to take responsibility for sponsoring a minimum of 10,000 Syrian refugees over the next two years, ahead of World Refugee Day on Friday.
By Susana Mas, CBC News | Link to Article
Immigration groups are urging the Canadian government to take responsibility for sponsoring a minimum of 10,000 Syrian refugees over the next two years, ahead of World Refugee Day on Friday.
The Office for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees asked countries around the world in February to take in 100,000 Syrian refugees in 2015 and 2016.
The Canadian Immigrant Settlement Sector Alliance, a national umbrella group that represents provincial associations who support the settlement and integration of newcomers to Canada, is urging Immigration Minister Chris Alexander to respond to that appeal by agreeing to sponsor at least 10,000 Syrian refugees by the end of 2016.
“We should step forward to offer the UNHCR a minimum of 10,000 resettlement spaces or 10 per cent of the current appeal over the next two years,” the group said in a letter to Alexander dated June 4.
“We would like to propose that the 10,000 additional resettlement spaces be considered through the government assisted refugee program,” said the letter to Alexander dated June 4.
The alliance is proposing the government resettle 2,830 Syrian refugees in Ontario in 2015 and 2016, 2,720 in the Prairies, 2,484 in Quebec, 1,134 in B.C., and 830 in the Atlantic provinces.