Federal government estimates cost to bring in Syrian refugees will be $1.2 billion

VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) – The federal Liberals’ plan to resettle 25,000 Syrian refugees is pegged to cost $1.2 billion dollars over the next six years.

According to a document obtained by The Canadian Press, the Immigration Department would need $528.4 million this year, and Defence $98.7 million.

A Vancouver immigration lawyer says a lot of expenses will be incurred beyond just getting the refugees here from temporary camps abroad.

Processing and screening the refugees will take up a large part of that budget, and so will transporting them into Canada, says Peter Edelmann.

Another significant part of that money will be needed to get the refugees resettled.

“It’s getting the kids into school, and getting the adults to learn a new language and getting them to the point where they can work. There is also lot of counselling and housing that are required.”

The federal cost estimates come in the midst of a debate over whether we are prepared to accept the refugees given what happened in Paris last week.

But Edelmann points out regardless of whether those refugees are accepted, some 20,000 people make refugee claims in Canada every year.

“People either make claims at ports-of-entry, usually at Canadian airports. There is another group of people who are here as visitors, workers, students, who make claims while living in Canada.”

The in-country applicants have had no prior screening and have no support systems in place, unlike sponsored refugees.

Edelmann feels accepting 25,000 Syrian refugees is a drop in the bucket, compared to the roughly quarter million permanent residents who make Canada their new home every year.