IOM assists in resettlement of over 5200 Syrians to Canada during December 2015

During the month of December 2015, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) assisted the Government of Canada and partners in the resettlement of 5,226 Syrian refugees as part of the effort to resettle 25,000 of the most vulnerable to Canada by early 2016, the agency posted on its website.

The first flight of the operation departed Beirut on 10 December, meaning that an average of 1,742 Syrian refugees arrived in Canada per following week until the end of 2015.

The respective caseloads for both Jordan and Lebanon will now continue to be processed including undergoing medical and security screenings, obtaining visas, and then boarding chartered flights to complete their resettlement to Canada.

IOM has assisted the Canadian resettlement effort by providing transport, medical screening and administrative and logistics support. The Government of Canada interviews the refugees, records their biometrics and is responsible for security screening and all decisions related to visa issuance.

The Syrians being resettled in Canada have been living in both urban and camp settings.

Source: MENA