Liberals ‘sticking to the plan’ on refugees
Resettlement of 25,000 Syrians will ‘definitely’ happen by end of the year, McCallum says
The Liberal government is standing firm on its plan to resettle 25,000 Syrian refugees by the end of the year, regardless of the logistical hurdles, Minister of Immigration John McCallum has told the Star.
“How many times do I have to say it? That is definitely our plan and we’re sticking to the plan,” a determined McCallum said in an interview with the Star on Tuesday.
McCallum was quick to dismiss suggestions that it would be unreasonable to transport and integrate such a large number of refugees in little more than six weeks, insisting again that the plan will unfold on deadline and with careful at- tention to “health and security concerns.”
“We’ve had hundreds of people in the civil service working around the clock on this,” he said. “We haven’t made a final decision in cabinet as to the plan, but certainly we’re holding to this plan.”
McCallum agreed there are challenges to getting the job done quickly, but emphasized that the government has reached out to all sectors for advice and help. He said there are “initiatives” in place to handle the anticipated challenges, which will be dealt with in five steps.
Those steps include identification, on- site interviews, transportation, settlement and integration, McCallum said.
As to the difficulties of integrating so many refugees — many of whom may be sick, lack language skills and suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder — McCallum acknowledged it would be a challenge but said the resettlement was something Canadians believe in.
“So many Canadians think it’s the right thing to do, as long as we do it right,” McCallum said.
“I sense across the country, from all quarters — whether it is companies, governments, NGOs or individuals — there is an outpouring of support and a desire to help us get the job done right.”
On Tuesday morning, a new cabinet committee charged with handling the Syrian file turned its attention to the long-term needs of resettling the refugees.
The committee considered the “whole gamut” of refugee needs, from their transportation to Canadian soil to their long-term integration into Canadian society, and has agreed on a plan to bring to cabinet. McCallum and the chair of the committee, Health Minister Jane Philpott, said they expect details to be released as early as Thursday.
According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, some Syrians arriving in Canada are expected to be issued temporary residency permits while the federal government continues to process their applications.
But McCallum would not confirm that, noting “that is one option, but
“It’s definitely an ambitious plan and an ambitious number.” MELANIE GALLANT OXFAM CANADA
that decision has not yet been made.”
He did confirm, however, that the committee has looked at the possible use of military bases as “part of the solution” in terms of resettling thousands of refugees.
On Monday, McCallum also confirmed that the government is considering using military aircraft to transport refugees.
Transporting the refugees by sea, as well as commercial airline, is also a possibility being studied by the Liberal government.
Refugee advocates have applauded the Liberals’ goals, but some have cautioned the government must do more than simply bring the refugees in.
“It’s definitely an ambitious plan and an ambitious number,” Melanie Gallant of Oxfam Canada said in an interview Tuesday. Gallant recently visited refugee camps in Lebanon and said she has seen first-hand that it is “important to look at the bigger picture” and to ensure that refugees “have what they need when they get here.”
The Liberals have committed $100 million this year to speed up that process, but McCallum said the cost of the overall plan has not yet been fully estimated.
“What I can guarantee to you absolutely is we will not keep Canadians in the dark on what the costs are, and that I can say with 100-per-cent certainty,” he said.
McCallum’s hands may be full with the resettlement of 25,000 refugees, but he is also giving top priority to introducing legislation that changes the Citizenship Act to remove two-tier citizenship. He expects to do this by the spring, if not sooner. “There will not be two classes of citizenship in Canada,” he said.
The other issue McCallum plans to deal with immediately is the restoration of the Interim Federal Health Program for refugees. “That will certainly be done very quickly . . . not only have we been saying that but a judge has said that the policy was cruel and unusual and therefore illegal,” he said.