Multicultural Council and Windsor Essex County

federal government: Toronto resettlement group requests 5-day halt to refugee arrivals Syrian refugees: 300 refugees living in area hotels So far, Windsor has welcomed 390 government-assisted refugees, of which more than 300 are still living in downtown hotels, according to CBC. Payne says the Multicultural Council of Windsor and Essex County is in daily communication with the federal government with regards to the capacity at hotels. "By the end of January, we expect about another 50 individuals to arrive and then we're told that in February, it could be approximately 270 more. Toronto, Ottawa, Vancouver and Halifax have all asked for a temporary delay in accepting new refugees. So we are expecting by the end of February, here in Windsor, anywhere between 700-800 government-assisted refugees to arrive," says Payne. And so as the numbers creep up more and more, it does cause for concern only because we want to welcome them but we want to ensure their long-term success also." She says the city had previously indicated to the provincial government that Windsor could "successfully integrate" 450 refugees. "By the end of February, we will almost be double that," Payne said. "The bottom line is that we want to ensure that the individuals who make Windsor-Essex their new home are successful," says Payne. "We want to ensure that they can find appropriate, affordable housing. we want to ensure that they can find gainful employment and so therefore, we want these families to have the best possible start in our community. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.