Canada: Canada

Canada Dept: Canada welcomed 2,000 fewer government-assisted refugees than projected and 1,300 fewer privately sponsored refugees despite promises to sponsors that although Canada was capping the number of applications it would accept, it would boost intake. Overall, just 23,056 refugees were admitted last year, nearly 3,000 fewer than projected and nearly 5,000 fewer than the previous year, according to Montreal Gazette. That was closed in January 2012 so they had the whole year to readjust, executive director Janet Dench said Thursday and oTTAWA Despite government promises to boost the number of United Nations-referred refugees that are resettled in Canada, new figures suggest 2012 marked a 14-year low and refugee advocates want to know what happened. The Canadian Council for Refugees said it disappointed the government has failed to meet its commitments and argues private sponsors are feeling betrayed. While the closure of the Damascus visa office is, in part, to blame since the ongoing civil war in that country has made it difficult for Canada to meet its resettlement commitment to Iraqi and Iranian refugees in that country, the council argues it not the whole story. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.