Private firms to aid security for Canadian refugee plans
Contractors join troops in providing protection at every stage of process
Private security contractors will join Canadian troops in providing protection for the governmentwide operation that brings Syrian refugees to Canada, according to a draft of the plan.
The plan to bring 25,000 refugees to Canada by Dec. 31 will involve federal staff from several departments, with an unknown number working overseas. The refugees are expected to be collected from centres in Beirut, Lebanon and Amman, Jordan.
A major security operation is being developed to ensure federal workers are protected. The Department of National Defence, for example, will provide “hostile environment training ” to employees going overseas. The military also will provide security for public servants at the refugee “points of departure,” according to the draft of the government’s strategic plan for “Operation Syrian Refugees” obtained by the National Post.
Private security forces also will be used for the mission. “Private security companies to be contracted abroad (will) undergo appropriate security checks,” the plan notes.
“The safety and security of Government of Canada personnel as well as of the refugees will not be compromised by this operation.”
Private security contractors have been used by the Canadian government in Afghanistan and other countries close to or in conflict zones.
Security reviews will be done at the collection sites, the temporary processing centres for the refugees, the hotels where Canadian government employees are staying overseas, and the airports from which the refugees leave, according to the draft plan. Security will also be increased at the main ports of entry for the refugees — Montreal and Toronto — as well as along transportation routes in Canada and at the interim lodging sites earmarked for the new arrivals.
Immigration Minister John McCallum said Friday the government would outline the specifics of its plan on Tuesday, and cautioned against taking the leaked document at face value. Jane Philpott, Minister of Health, said details of the draft are outdated but she did not say how.
“We’re trying to make sure to keep at the foremost of our minds the safety and security of Canadians and of course the safety and best interests of the refugees,” Philpott said.
So far, 12 Canadian Forces personnel have been sent overseas to help Canadian defence attachés in Ankara, Turkey, Amman and Beirut.
The federal government will also put a contract in place for “floating accommodation” although it hasn’t provided details on where any ships that house refugees would be located.
The refugees will be housed in locations in Ontario and Quebec, in particular Cornwall, Ont., and Trois-Rivières, Que., the strategic plan suggested.
The draft plan envisages 5,000 to 6,000 refugees being airlifted from a central processing point in Jordan every week between Dec. 1 and 31. The plan suggests 900 passengers a day will arrive on three flights to Toronto and Montreal.
In addition, Chief of the Defence Staff Jon Vance reportedly will meet with his counterparts in Lebanon, Jordan, Turkey, the U.S. and “potentially other allies” to discuss the Syrian refugees.
McCallum confirmed details previously reported by the Citizen that the Canadian government is looking to lease temporary winterized lodgings for the refugees.
The Canadian Forces is also looking at bases in Ontario and Quebec to house the Syrian refugees. No specific bases have been selected yet as the military is still waiting for direction from government.
Some bases clearly anticipate a role. For instance, “CFB Meaford and Borden are two locations that will require winterization of accommodations and preparation is currently underway,” National Defence spokesman Dan Le Bouthillier noted.
We’re trying to make sure to keep at the foremost of our minds the safety and security of Canadians.