Ottawa Initiates Changes On Canadas Refugee System
AHN News Staff
March 30, 2010 6:30 a.m. EST
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada (AHN) – Canadian Immigration Minister Jason Kenney announced on Monday the start of reforms on the countrys refugee system. For starters, Ottawa committed to resettle 2,500 United Nations-elected refugees in camps and urban slums.
The refugees program adopts a two-pronged approach. First is the government-assisted part which will expand over time by up to 500 slots. The second approach is through the Private Sponsorship of Refugees Program, which would open to 2,000 refugees.
Overall, the two programs have the potential of bringing in up to 14,500 UN-selected refugees.
Kenney said in a statement, Millions of people have fled violence and persecution to seek refuge outside their home countries and we would like to do more to provide them with protection in Canada.
He added, We know that we cant help everyone. But what we can do is introduce balanced reforms to our refugee system that will allow us to expand our refugee resettlement programs to provide protection to more people.
The numbers, though are a drop in the bucket from the 10.5 million UN-designated refugees spread in camps and urban slums across different nations. About 100,000 of them are accepted by different nations annually, of which about 10 to 12 percent end up in Canada through the two programs.
