By the numbers: Syrian refugees in the Region of Waterloo

New numbers from the Waterloo Region Syrian Refugee Resettlement Committee show 1,187 Syrian refugees have settled in the area. Many of the government sponsored families are families of 7 or more. Statistics as of March 28th show:

• 1,039 settled in Kitchener.
• 62 settledin Waterloo.
• 43 settled in Cambridge.
• 16 settled in Elmira.
• 22 settled in New Hamburg.
• 5 settled in Conestogo.

The Committee notes that, although the numbers are current for each community today, refugeesmay seek and find accommodationelsewhere so the number of refugees living in a communitymay change over time.

Wendy Adema from Director of Ontario Programs with the Mennonite Central Committee of Ontario says its agency has worked with 60 local sponsorship groups; while 50 other groups are on a waiting list.

"Because the federal government has met its goal of 25 thousand, the number of new profiles going onto that profile list has really slowed down," Adema toldCBC News.

"So [now] we are making a couple of matches a month, whereas for a period of time we were making a couple of matches a day."

• Syrian flees certain death, finds new life in Kitchener
• Interpreters prepare for influx in Waterloo region

The federalImmigration, Refugees and Citizenship departmentpredicts another 500 to 700 refugees from Syria and other parts of the world will settle in Waterloo Region later this year and next.

In March, 19 refugees from other parts of the world, such as Ethiopia, Eritrea, Iraq and Iranalso settledin the region.