Feds seek more cities to take Syrian refugees, but may only pay until next year

OTTAWA – More Canadian cities could soon see Syrian refugees coming their way, but the federal funds to help support them will only last until March 2017.

The surge in Syrian refugee arrivals has now forced agencies in at least three of the 36 destination cities for government-assisted refugees to request a break in the action to hire extra staff and find permanent homes for those who have already arrived.

That means refugees who were bound for Vancouver, Toronto and Ottawa will now remain in hotels for a few extra days once their flights land in Canada.

The federal government is actively seeking more cities to take in government-assisted Syrian refugees as part of the Liberal commitment to resettle 25,000 by the end of the year and has posted a call for proposals online.

The Immigration Department says as part of the $335-million budget to help integrate newly arrived Syrians, it is looking to expand existing settlement services, which includes opening centres in more cities or beefing up resources in existing ones.

But the funding arrangements are designed to meet immediate and not long-term needs, so the money will expire in March 2017.

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