Immigration Minister John McCallum and Media in Toronto

Royal Jordanian Airlines: McCallum, however, said he was optimistic. Immigration Minister John McCallum speaks to the media in Toronto. "We are still working very hard to achieve that 10,000 by the end of the year, as well as 25,000 by the end of February,'' he said, following a meeting with business leaders in Toronto, according to Huffington Post Canada. McCallum said a Royal Jordanian Airlines flight carrying just over 200 Syrian refugees was expected to land in Toronto on Tuesday. The government has pledged to resettle 25,000 refugees in the country by the end of February, but with less than 1,000 Syrians arriving in Canada since the Liberals took power in early November, some are questioning that objective. It will be the third government-organized flight bringing refugees to the country _ the first flight carrying 163 Syrian refugees landed in Toronto last Thursday, while the second touched down in Montreal on Saturday with 161 on board. "In coming days there will be many, many more flights,'' McCallum said. "So yes, we are still working very hard to achieve our objectives.'' "In coming days there will be many, many more flights." The majority of refugees who have arrived in Canada so far have been privately sponsored by family, friends, individuals or groups who will provide financial and emotional support to the newcomers for typically one year. Those refugees are referred to Canada for resettlement by the United Nations Refugee Agency or similar organizations, and have their initial needs supported by the government for up to one year. McCallum said, however, that larger numbers of government-assisted refugees are expected to start arriving in the coming days. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.