Syrian refugees still need more help

Viewpoint: Toronto Star (edited) Canadians have good reason to feel proud about providing a safe haven for thousands of Syrian refugees. But an equally important job remains to be done: ensuring these newcomers successfully integrate into their adopted homeland.

Swift action is needed to meet that challenge, according to a compelling new Senate report. “Fine words and open arms . . . alone are not sufficient to address the very real and very urgent problems that lie ahead,” warned Sen. Jim Munson, head of the Senate committee on human rights.

The committee released a series of interim recommendations urging immediate steps to bolster refugees’ language skills, finances and mental health. It quite properly described such measures as a long-term investment in the country.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s government should heed the committee’s advice.

It would be nothing short of tragic if Canada welcomed people from a war-torn land only to fail them once they had crossed our border.

The Senate committee has been examining the Syrian refugee situation since the spring and has heard heart-rending accounts of suffering and endurance from newcomers and their advocates.

Given the horrors of what so many of them have experienced, the panel identified a serious need for assistance in dealing with post-traumatic stress disorder.

Language and literacy training are also essential for these new Canadians to find work and build a future.

Many refugee families face economic hardship, having to rely on food banks to make ends meet. Some carry the additional burden of travel loans amounting to hundreds or even thousands of dollars.

With more than 28,400 Syrian refugees landing in Canada just since Nov. 4, it’s important to address these problems before they fester and taint what has otherwise been a remarkable successful humanitarian operation.