ISANS doubts Ottawa's promise to resettle more Syrian refugees

A Nova Scotian group trying to help Syrian refugees settle in Canada is skeptical about the federal government's latest promise to bring more people in.

Last month,Immigration Minister Chris Alexander promised to resettle more than 10,000 refugees from Syria over the next three years.

Gerry Mills, director of operations for the Immigrant Services Association of Nova Scotia, says the government's promise doesn't go far enough.

"What we are disappointed at is that it looks like those 10,000 Syrian refugees [are] not above the typical commitment that Canada makes to their resettlement program each year," she said.

"For instance, each year from overseas, Canada takes roundabout 5,000 government-assisted refugees and roundabout 5,000 privately sponsored refugees. So that 10,000 he committed to in Syrians, about 3,300 a year, those 3,300 we commit to every year.

"We're still trying to get clarity around this. We just received some information back that's saying it's not in addition to."

Mills said she hopes January's announcement was just the beginning of Ottawa's support and more programs will be revealed.

The United Nations high commissioner for refugees says the number of Syrian refugees has outnumbered Afghans as the largest refugee population under the protection of the United Nations. As of June 2014, there were three million Syrian refugees.

Of the 10,000 Syrian refugees, Alexander said that approximately 60 per cent would be sponsored by private groups and 40 per cent would be sponsored by the government.

"Those 60 per cent of privately sponsored are the folks that we as an organization, we're thinking of,"said Mills.

She says the group will be soon be holding information sessions for people who want to help privately support Syrian refugees in Nova Scotia.