Syrian refugees: Canada issues 928 visas, adding $100M in aid

Immigration minister says refugees are being held up by lack of exit visas overseas

By James Fitz-Morris, CBC News Posted: Nov 26, 2015 12:57 PM ET, Last Updated: Nov 26, 2015 2:40 PM ET, Source

Canada is contributing an additional $100 million to help the UNHCR care for refugees in their camps, it was announced Thursday in Ottawa. (Muhammed Muheisen/Associated Press)

Canada has so far issued 928 permanent resident visas to Syrian refugees — but there is still no timeline for when they could start arriving.

Immigration Minister John McCallum blames red tape overseas for the delays.

"Not all of them yet have exit visas from Lebanon, and we are working really, really hard to expedite that so they can get those exit visas as soon as possible," McCallum said an interview with Chris Hall, host of CBC Radio's The House.

McCallum also said the first group of new refugees will be flown to Canada on a military plane — although the date for that flight has yet to be set because of the lack of exit visas.

"That will be followed by further flights that will be leased," he added. All flights will be arriving in Toronto and Montreal, and the refugees who will be resettled in other cities will travel on from there.

The government also intends to launch a website that will provide regular updates on the progress and delays for the Canadian population, McCallum said.

'What I want to do is be clear and transparent and take the 35 million along with us on the voyage," he explained, "and let them see the good things and let them also see the challenges."

More aid money

Canada will also contribute an added $100 million to aid the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in efforts to help Syrian refugees meet their "basic daily needs."

Minister for International Development Marie-Claude Bibeau made the announcement Thursday, following through on a Liberal election promise and filling in some of the blanks regarding Canada's plan to bring 10,000 more refugees to this country in the next five weeks.

"We know that Syrian refugees are cutting on meals, talking on debt to meet their basic daily needs and risking their lives to leave Syria," Bibeau said. "This funding to UNHCR will help to make these decisions a little less difficult by helping to meet basic needs."

The minister says the UNHCR will use the money for shelter, protection, education and health.

The government is relying heavily on the international agency to accomplish its goal of bringing in 25,000 more Syrian refugees to Canada before the end of February. Beyond providing urgent humanitarian assistance to those in the refugee camps, the UNHCR also registers and interviews each asylum seeker.

The Canadian government has asked the international agency to identify those who are most vulnerable and to put them at the head of the line to come to Canada.

Ottawa lists vulnerable persons as:

• Complete families.
• Women at risk.
• Persons identified as at risk due to membership in the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) community.

Marie-Claude Bibeau, shown with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau at the cabinet minister swearing-in ceremony earlier this month, announced the added aid for the UNHCR on Thursday in Ottawa. (Sean Kilpatrick/Canadian Press)

The government says the priority list isn't just to help those most in need, but also to "minimize security risks," by concentrating on individuals considered to be at low risk of radicalization.

About 500 Canadian officials have also been deployed overseas to individually interview and screen each of the asylum applicants flagged by the UNHCR before they are allowed to travel to Canada.

Governor General hosting forum

In related news, Canada's governor general has announced he will host a forum next week in Ottawa to discuss welcoming refugees.

In a statement released by Rideau Hall, David Johnston says more than 100 people from the public and private sectors, as well as members of civil society, will gather to discuss supporting the settlement and integration process.

A number of private-sector companies are already opening doors and wallets to help in the efforts.

Some are donating apartments to house the new arrivals and others are donating cash to help organize sponsorships for families.