Syrian refugee resettlement to be speeded up by Canada
Immigration Minister Chris Alexander announced government would bring in thousands by end of 2015
CBC News Posted: Sep 19, 2015 2:45 PM ET, Last Updated: Sep 19, 2015 4:37 PM ET, Source
Immigration Minister Chris Alexander has confirmed the federal government will speed up the process for refugee resettlement in Canada, bringing in thousands of Syrians and Iraqis by the end by 2015.
The Conservative government would also complete the resettlement process of the 10,000 refugees it promised to accept "a full 15 months earlier than anticipated," Alexander told reporters in Toronto's Scarborough area on Saturday.
Alexander said the government would accelerate its existing commitment by designating Syrians and Iraqis who have fled as prima facie refugees, which means the government is assuming they are refugees because they are fleeing countries mired in violence.
In a bid to cut down red tape, Alexander also said the government would deploy additional officers to missions abroad and that applications from Syria and Iraq will be handled within six months.
The government would also allow groups of five and families to sponsor those who have not yet received convention refugee status.
Last week, Defence Minister Jason Kenney said on CBC Radio's The House that the government would soon be unveiling its plan to expedite the resettlement of Syrian refugees in Canada.
Kenney, the candidate for the riding of Calgary-Midnapore, said the plan would "probably" include putting more people in place to process refugee applications and security checks.
The Conservative government had also created a Syrian emergency relief fund, which took effect last Saturday, that would match donations from Canadians to registered charities up to $100 million.
The funds will assist people Syria and neighbouring countries affected by the war in Syria, and will provide basic needs such as food, clothing and health care.
The refugee crisis is front-and-centre in the electoral campaign, with the Conservatives taking heat from the public and other parties who accuse them of not taking in enough refugees.
