Groups sponsoring Syrian refugee families were ready to welcome their charges at Toronto’s Pearson Airport on December 9, 2015. (Chris Young/The Canadian Press/file)

A look at the first Syrian refugees that arrived in Canada

The government has issued statistics that provide a snapshot of the first 25,000 Syrian refugees to be resettled in Canada. Families were prioritized, while young adults with no children were less likely to be chosen for resettlement.

So, 85 per cent of Syrian families were couples with children and they had an average of 2.8 offspring.

After the first Syrian refugees arrived, more were settled sponsored by private groups and people like Omar Alahmed in Ottawa. (CBC/Nov. 21, 2018)

Some sponsored by government, other by private groups

A little over half of the refugees were sponsored by the Canadian government and the rest were sponsored by private groups such as churches, community groups or individuals.

Of those between the ages of 20 and 59, those sponsored by the government were less educated, less likely to speak English or French and they had more trouble finding a job.

Ability to work changes rapidly, says Statistics Canada

Syrian refugees had a lower employment rate than did other refugees, but the government agency Statistics Canada said that was largely because they had been in Canada for a shorter period of time. Statistics were collected in the 2016 census and the refugees would have been in the country only for an average four months. Other refugees would have been in Canada for an average eight months. The agency notes their ability to work can change rapidly in the first few years as people improve language proficiency and professional skills.

After the census, Canada continued to welcome Syrian refugees, mostly through private sponsorship. A total of almost 60,000 were resetted.

The agency said it plans to continue to follow the progress of Syrian refugees as new numbers become available.

Categories: Immigration & Refugees
Tags: , , ,

Do you want to report an error or a typo? Click here!

For reasons beyond our control, and for an undetermined period of time, our comment section is now closed. However, our social networks remain open to your contributions.