Immigration Minister Jason Kenney

Immigration Minister Jason Kenney: Kenney made the resettlement of Iraqis a focus in 2009 and had initially set this year as the target date to resettle thousands fleeing persecution and violence in that country, according to Times Colonist. Kenney says around 16,000 Iraqis have now arrived and the entire group will be resettled by 2015 and CALGARY - Immigration Minister Jason Kenney says Canada's promise to resettle 20,000 Iraqi refugees will be met by 2015 two years later than originally planned. But the ongoing conflict in Syria forced the government to close its visa office in Damascus in 2012, which dramatically slowed down the Iraqi program. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.