Syrian Refugees and Federal Election Campaign

Chris Friesen: The school district has 67 to date, compared with fewer than a dozen in Vancouver, according to Globe and Mail. The Liberal government recently reached its goal – announced in last year federal election campaign – of bringing 25,000 Syrian refugees to Canada, and has said another 15,000 applications are complete or under way. The centre is particularly important in Surrey, which to date is the top destination for government-assisted Syrian refugees in British Columbia, including the largest number of school-aged children. In British Columbia, 1,522 government-assisted Syrian refugees had arrived as of Feb. 29, says Chris Friesen, director of settlement services with the Immigrant Services Society of B.C. Another 2,000 or so are expected by the end of 2016. To date, settlement agencies have also been trying to line up permanent accommodation. On arrival, refugees are placed in temporary housing, including hotels, in Metro Vancouver. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.