Syrian refugees in Canada could hit 50,000 next year, says McCallum

Canada's minister of immigration and citizenship visited Syrian refugees in Jordan over the weekend, takingthe opportunity to reaffirm the country's plans to resettle 50,000 Syrians by the end of 2016.

John McCallum was in the Jordanian capital of Amman on Sunday, meeting with Syrian families preparing to board flights to Canada. He told one family: "Everyone in Canada is waiting to meet you."

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Canada's new Liberal government is pushing forward with its pledge to resettle 25,000 Syrian refugees by the end of February.

McCallum said earlier this month that Canada hopes to take in upwards of 50,000 Syrians by the end of next year,with the help of the UN refugee agency, the Jordanian government and the International Organization for Migration.

McCallum also toured development projects and refugee facilities during his two-day stop in Jordan.