$350 million for refugees and immigration returned to government, unspent
Canada’s immigration department returned more than $350 million to the federal treasury in unspent funds over a three-year period, a sum that included millions for processing refugee applications and helping asylum-seekers settle into Canada.
The figure, drawn from official government financial reports, has prompted renewed criticism of the Conservatives, who have been under fire on the campaign trail for their handling of the Syrian refugee crisis.
The election campaign has been dominated by the refugee issue since shocking photos were published last week of three-year-old Alan Kurdi’s lifeless body on a Turkish beach. This was followed by revelations that Citizenship and Immigration (CIC) had rejected an application by Kurdi’s uncle to come to Canada.
The crisis was sparked by outbreak of war between Syrian dictator Bashar Assad and rebel forces in 2011, and exacerbated by the rise of the Islamic State.
In the face of mounting pressure from premiers, mayors and faith leaders across the country for the federal government to do more to help Syrian refugees, Conservative leader Stephen Harper said for the first time Thursday that some type of action is coming.
http://ottawacitizen.com/news/politics/350-million-for-refugees-and-immigration-returned-to-government-unspent
No comments:
Post a Comment