More staff going to help process Syria refugees, military may help: McCallum

Talks with the military to provide assistance inbringing thousands more Syrian refugees to Canada are under way asthe Liberal government appears to be spooling up efforts to makegood on a promise to private sponsorship groups.

Existing and retired staff from the Immigration Department areset to head overseas this month to begin working through hundreds ofapplications submitted by private groups across the country,Immigration Minister John McCallum saidWednesday.

• McCallum sending more staff to Jordan and Lebanon to boost refugee intake
• Syrian refugees turn to food banks as they struggle to cope with high cost of living
• Syrian refugees not arriving quickly enough say B.C. private sponsors

"We're doing everything we can to honour our commitment todeliver the refugees who had been applied for byMarch 30,"McCallum said.

McCallum committed to private groups to bring as many as 10,000Syrians by the end of this year or early next, a response to theoutcry that erupted when the government's massive Syrian refugeeresettlement program ended and the processing of applicationsreturned to a far slower pace.

Hundreds of groups protested, saying they'd raising thousands ofdollars, rented apartments and lined up other supports for Syriansunder the assumption that while the large-scale airlifts might beover, helping Syrians would remain a top priority for government.

The fact it was now going to take more than a year to bringpeople over left many groups frustrated.

The government had resettled 25,000 Syrian refugees in Canadabetween November and the end of February by deploying hundreds ofstaff overseas to process applications, including members of theCanadian Forces who helped handled medical and security screening.

Military role

What role the military could play in the second round hasn't beendecided, McCallum said.

"I don't know if military people will go back or not but we'rein close conservation with them and certainly people from mydepartment, and some retired people, are going to be doing backcertainly this month," he said.

Officials at the Department of National Defence said theycouldn't comment on what they're prepared to contribute.
Since the end of February, 1,859 Syrian refugees have arrived inCanada -- at one point, that number was arriving injust a few daysas part of the Liberal commitment.

But one of the major problems created by the surge in arrivalsunder that commitment appears to be easing: about 93 per cent ofgovernment assisted refugees brought to Canada by the Liberals arenow in permanent housing.

In Ottawa, that milestone was reached on April 14 and now thefocus is moving to making sure people can keep the homes they'vefound.

"Newcomer families are already disproportionately represented inour family shelter system," said Carl Nicholson, executive directorof Catholic Centre for Immigrants.

"So it's absolutely critical that we invest in helping thisnewest and biggest community of newcomers avoid the need for sheltersupport."

His and two other Ottawa agencies received a $450,000 grantWednesdayfrom Community Foundations of Canada Welcome Fund forRefugees, a fund seeded by corporate donations from Manulife, CN andGM.

Some of the money will go towards rent subsidies and the rest formental health initiatives and programs to help Syrians find jobs.