Philpott says refugee deadline meets 'ambitious' target in 'responsible' way

A Syrian family walks after they arrived with other refugees from Turkey to the shores of the Greek island of Lesbos, on a inflatable dinghy, Friday, Sept. 25, 2015. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP/Petros Giannakouris)

Elaborating on Canada’s revised plan to resettle 25,000 Syrian refugees, Federal Health Minister Jane Philpott says when they arrive, they will do so as permanent residents.

Speaking on CTV’s Canada AM on Wednesday, Philpott said full health and security checks for Syrian refugees who are to be resettled in Canada will take place overseas.

“This is meeting all of the requirements so that when the refugees arrive in Canada they will arrive as permanent residents and as protected persons,” Philpott said.

That is in contrast to some European countries, such as Germany, which will only offer temporary residency to Syrian refugees.

On Tuesday, the federal government unveiled a revised plan to bring in a total of 25,000 Syrian refugees by the end of February, extending their original deadline by two months.

Philpott said the government “would not be where we are today” if they had not set an “ambitious target” to resettle 25,000 Syrian refugees in Canada by year’s end.

The newly elected Liberal government has been working over the last few weeks to figure out how to meet that target in a “way that is responsible and will be successful,” said Philpott, who is the chair of the cabinet subcommittee overseeing the refugee plan.

“We will have 25,000 refugees identified by the end of the year, which is a feat unto itself,” Philpott said, adding the government is “delighted” that it will be able to carry out the plan as “quickly as possible.”

Syrian refugees will begin arriving in 36 communities across the country beginning in early December. An initial 10,000 will be resettled in Canada by year’s end, with another 15,000 slated to arrive throughout January and February.

Philpott the initial 10,000 will be a “mix” of private and government-sponsored refugees. However, she added the government is committed to bring in a total of 25,000 “government-assisted refugees” to the country.

Health and security checks

Philpott said all refugees will be processed overseas, including undergoing an international medical examination that is required for all immigrants and refugees coming to Canada.

Philpott said it enables the government to “identify the health concerns that people have.”

Upon arrival in Canada, Philpott said, there will be further screening “to be sure there are not infectious diseases” that require care.

They will also undergo a full biometric assessment and the ‘multiple levels of security screening that are necessary to be able to offer these refugees permanent residence status and that’s the status that they have while here in Canada.”

After unveiling the plan on Tuesday, the Liberal government said Canada will prioritize full families, vulnerable women and members of the LGBT community among the 25,000 who are government sponsored. However, single men who are privately sponsored will not face restrictions.

The Liberals also said that an additional 10,000 refugees are expected to be resettled later in 2016.

Economic, social benefits

Speaking at a news conference in London after meeting the Queen on Wednesday, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said welcoming refugees to Canada will produce economic and cultural benefits for the country. He said previous influxes of refugees to Canada have only served to strengthen the country, and make it more diverse.

Earlier in the day, Trudeau said in a speech at Canada House that the country’s success in the past is owed in part to its diversity.

“Our commitment to diversity and inclusion isn’t about Canadians being nice and polite, although of course we are,” Trudeau said. “In fact, this commitment is a powerful and ambitious approach to making Canada, and the world, a better, and safer, place.”

With files from The Canadian Press