Canadians prepare to take in more Syrian migrants

Canadians prepared to take in more Syrian migrants Tuesday as provincial and municipal leaders pledged more help, from sponsoring families to earmarking additional funds to resettle refugees.

British Columbia Premier Christie Clark put up Can$1 million (US750,000) to help private sponsors bring refugees to the province, while Quebec Premier Philippe Couillard and Toronto mayor John Tory said they would each personally sponsor a Syrian family.

At the same time Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne urged Ottawa to "work with the provinces to speed up the process whereby refugees can come into the country and into our province."

As the migrant crisis unfolds in Europe, with a record influx of people fleeing war and misery in Syria, their plight has become a top issue in the Canadian election campaign ahead of voting on October 19.

Canada has welcomed 2,374 Syrian asylum seekers out of 20,000 it has committed to accepting. Most of them have been privately sponsored, according to government figures.

But while Britain and France joined Germany on Monday in pledging to accept tens of thousands of refugees, Canada's Conservative prime minister, Stephen Harper, has come under fire for not doing more.

Thomas Mulcair's New Democratic Party promised Saturday to welcome 46,000 Syrian refugees to Canada through 2019 if they win the election, while Liberal leader Justin Trudeau has called for an immediate increase to 25,000.

Harper has called for a multi-pronged approach that would welcome migrants but also step up military intervention in Syria and Iraq.

Source: AFP