Trudeau's Committment to Syrian Refugees - 25,000 by Year End

capricorn · January 19, 2016

The military bases that were refurbished to house Syrian refugees have yet to receive even one.

An early element of the resettlement plan called for refugees to be housed temporarily at military bases in Ontario and Quebec until permanent homes could be found, but that is now considered an option of last resort. No bases have taken refugees so far.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/vancouver-ottawa-ask-feds-for-a-break-from-taking-in-syrian-refugees/article28249795/

And from the same media account we find out that the cities of Vancouver and Ottawa are calling for a pause in the scheduled arrival of refugees because too many are arriving all at once.

Two cities, Vancouver and Ottawa, are taking a break from accepting any more government-assisted Syrian refugees as agencies in both cities try to work through housing bottlenecks.

A surge of arrivals in the last month filled temporary housing to capacity and the settlement groups responsible say they need time to move people into permanent homes before they can accept any new cases.

The director of settlement for the Immigrant Services Society of B.C. says the pause in Vancouver will last five days, beginning Tuesday. Even though the group added 700 beds to its housing stock, it is still taking time to find permanent homes, Chris Friesen said.

Other problems have been flagged by the resettlement agencies. Seems to me these problems should have been foreseen and addressed by all involved in this massive and rapid movement of humans from the ME to Canada. But what the hey, there's still a quota to be met. :rolleyes:

Keepitsimple · January 19, 2016

Other problems have been flagged by the resettlement agencies. Seems to me these problems should have been foreseen and addressed by all involved in this massive and rapid movement of humans from the ME to Canada. But what the hey, there's still a quota to be met.

All part of why the election promise was nothing short of reckless - 25,000 government assisted refugees before the end of last year! But hey, this is just the start of Canada playing with peoples' lives. But no matter what spin ol' John tries to put on it, having people languish for a year before even starting to learn one of our languages is extremely problematic. From the same article:

McCallum says more than 90 per cent of refugees that have arrived don’t speak either of the official languages, creating what he calls a blank slate for refugees and provinces to teach them either English or French.

But language-training courses are in high demand across the country. Friesen said. While some cities have no wait lists, others see new immigrants wait for over a year.

cannuck · January 19, 2016

Has anyone done the accounting for how many refugees could have been housed on Syria's borders in SAFE, protected, well stocked camps for all of the money being piddled away to displace them a half world away from their home?

These clowns are dragging Canada's name through the mud on a daily basis.

Next thing you know, Goodale will be lobbying cabinet to restore the CWB.

waldo · January 19, 2016

Has anyone done the accounting for how many refugees could have been housed on Syria's borders in SAFE, protected, well stocked camps for all of the money being piddled away to displace them a half world away from their home?

pardon! Where do you understand these Syrian refugees coming to Canada to have been housed? Is "displacement distance" a real concern for you... is being "displaced" in Lebanon camps, in Turkey camps... a different type of displacement to you?

waldo · January 19, 2016

... having people languish for a year before even starting to learn one of our languages is extremely problematic.

no worries Simple! Languages Canada is on the case: Languages Canada to support Syrian refugee integration initiative

To align with Canada’s refugee plan, the Languages Canada Syrian Refugee Integration Initiative will donate seats in English and French language education programs across Canada for a set duration of time to be confirmed with Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada. While more than 8,000 weeks are currently confirmed by members, the association expects that to grow substantially.

“Part of what unites the language education sector is our passion to make the world a better place. This initiative helps to connect us with the unique stories of refugees — from their arrival to their integration into Canadian society — and we are very proud to be a part of that process as they embark on a brighter future in Canada,” says Gonzalo Peralta, Executive Director of Languages Canada.

Contributions by language programs are vital to the long-term success of the Syrian refugees in Canada. Accredited language programs welcome 137,000 students a year and are often a gateway to Canada’s universities and colleges, immigration and the workforce; they allow refugees to learn languages, explore our culture and integrate into our communities.

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PIK · January 19, 2016

Ottawa is taking no more, until they can find places for them to live. They will probably kick some poor Canadians to the curb to make room for the almighty Syrian refugee.

Keepitsimple · January 19, 2016

no worries Simple! Languages Canada is on the case: Languages Canada to support Syrian refugee integration initiative

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I hope they can keep up.....it seems that they can't from the article that was posted......and then there's the cost. I used your link to check number of students to total tuition fees - and the average is $3300 per student. Multiply that by 25,000 and you get $82 million. If their needs are higher than average - which it appears they might be - that $82 million will quickly balloon.

Argus · January 19, 2016

Ottawa is taking no more, until they can find places for them to live. They will probably kick some poor Canadians to the curb to make room for the almighty Syrian refugee.

Ottawa's waiting list for public housing was more than a year BEFORE all the Syrians showed up. So yes, a lot of poor Canadians are going to have to wait a lot longer for shelter now.

Smallc · January 19, 2016

It's a good thing this government has committed to investing record amounts in public housing, then.

Argus · January 19, 2016

It's a good thing this government has committed to investing record amounts in public housing, then.

Once it passes through all the fingers it is destined to there will be very little left. Besides, most 'infrastructure spending' has nothing to do with infrastructure.

Furthermore, public housing and its maintenance is a municipal responsibility. If Mr. Trudeau finds he doesn't have enough work to do with federal matters perhaps he should do as his Liberal predecessors were wont to do and take many vacations.

capricorn · January 19, 2016

It's a good thing this government has committed to investing record amounts in public housing, then.

The budget will tell how much money the Liberals intend to transfer to the provinces and municipalities for social housing. Meanwhile, the city of Ottawa's website states that wait times for social housing can be up to five years.

jacee · January 21, 2016

A cell phone is definitely a luxury, and I don't think poor people living off me should have the money for luxuries.

You are showing your age, Argus.

Phones are not luxuries. They are necessary to function independently, get housing, work, etc.

They are particularly necessary when you are mobile, displaced.

The less developed a country, without communications infrastructure as we have, the more reliance there is on cell phones. In many countries they are the only links.

We used to think of them as luxuries because we had land line infrastructure. Not so in much of the world.

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jacee · January 21, 2016

Ottawa is taking no more, until they can find places for them to live. They will probably kick some poor Canadians to the curb to make room for the almighty Syrian refugee.

Do you have evidence of any queue jumping for public housing?

I doubt that.

Are you just grumbling, speculating, maligning without knowing anything?

I expect so.

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jacee · January 21, 2016

Ottawa's waiting list for public housing was more than a year BEFORE all the Syrians showed up. So yes, a lot of poor Canadians are going to have to wait a lot longer for shelter now.

Who's been skimping on federal funds for public housing?

conservatives_dismantling_social_programs_built_over_generations

An estimated 30,000 people are homeless every night in Canada, and federally subsidized housing units have been on the decline for years. While the 2013 budget earmarked $1.25 billion for affordable housing, thats seen as not nearly enough to deal with a housing situation that is getting worse as a result of skyrocketing shelter costs across the country. Some 72,000 households are stuck on the waiting list for social housing in Toronto alone, according to the Ontario Non-Profit Housing Association.

100,000 Canadians either homeless or waiting for public housing.

Harper's legacy.

Can't blame Syrians for that.

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Argus · January 21, 2016

You are showing your age, Argus.

No, I'm showing my intelligence.

Phones are not luxuries.

Cell phones are.

They are necessary to function independently, get housing, work, etc.

They are particularly necessary when you are mobile, displaced.

You can't get welfare if you're 'displaced'. And most of those getting welfare are not looking for work anyway.

Argus · January 21, 2016

Who's been skimping on federal funds for public housing?

The federal funds for housing ought to amount to $0.0.

Housing is NOT a federal responsibility.

jacee · January 21, 2016

No, I'm showing my intelligence.

Cell phones are.

You can't get welfare if you're 'displaced'. And most of those getting welfare are not looking for work anyway.

Well you're wrong.

Cell phones are now the standard communication throughout the world:

http://qz.com/179897/more-people-around-the-world-have-cell-phones-than-ever-had-land-lines/

Its easy to see why cell phone growth has been so fast: You dont need a home to have one, and you dont need a network that touches every building. Its easier to plop a cell phone tower in a neighborhood than plug in every single building.

Today, almost everywhere has more mobile phone penetration than land-lines

You are stuck in North American landline thinking, while the rest of the world has gone wireless very fast because they never had landline infrastructure, and won't now.

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Edited January 21, 2016 by jacee

jacee · January 21, 2016

The federal funds for housing ought to amount to $0.0.

Housing is NOT a federal responsibility.

The feds don't administer housing programs, except on Reserves, but they do provide some funds for that and other services to other levels of government.

That's not new.

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Argus · January 22, 2016

You are stuck in North American landline thinking, while the rest of the world has gone wireless very fast because they never had landline infrastructure, and won't now.

I live in North America, where, unlike most of the rest of the world, we have an excellent landline phone system.

jacee · January 23, 2016

I live in North America, where, unlike most of the rest of the world, we have an excellent landline phone system.

I haven't had a land line in years.

It's redundant now.

As I said, cell phones are not a luxury, but the basic standard in most countries now.

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GostHacked · January 23, 2016

I live in North America, where, unlike most of the rest of the world, we have an excellent landline phone system.

Some nations do not have a land line system at all. The land line system in North America has existed for over 100 years. But ask around and see if anyone still uses a land line. That might be in the minority now. Even the poorest of the poor in Africa are using cell phones.

Syrians might have had a land line infrastructure, but the country has been bombed to crap. So not sure how well it works anymore.

I've been without a land line for over a decade. Guess I am just as bad as the rest of them.

Argus · January 23, 2016

I haven't had a land line in years.

It's redundant now.

As I said, cell phones are not a luxury, but the basic standard in most countries now.

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All you're demonstrating is your inability to differentiate between needs and wants. Which is hardly surprising given your political views.

bush_cheney2004 · January 23, 2016

Are free cell phones a "human right" yet ? Do the Syrian refugees get free/subsidized cell phone plans in Canada ?

GostHacked · January 24, 2016

All you're demonstrating is your inability to differentiate between needs and wants. Which is hardly surprising given your political views.

How can a transient refugee get a land line? Pay phones are also a becoming a rare thing.

Could you go back to just a land line if you needed to?

Shady · January 24, 2016

I haven't had a land line in years.

It's redundant now.

As I said, cell phones are not a luxury, but the basic standard in most countries now.

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Anything that doesn't feed you, cloth you or shelter you is considered a luxury. Besides, there's a difference between a cell phone and a smart phone.