NDP lays out concrete plan on refugee crisis

The NDP has laid out a concrete plan for tackling the Syrian refugee crisis. “We can begin by getting 10,000 Syrian refugees out of harm’s way and to Canada by the end of the year,” said NDP Foreign Affairs critic Paul Dewar. “The human tragedy unfolding is horrifying and unacceptable. Canada must act, now.”

The NDP will work with the government to:

1. Get 10,000 government-sponsored refugees out of harm’s way and on the way to Canada by the end of this year through appointing a Syrian Refugee Coordinator, pulling resources from various departments including Foreign Affairs, Citizenship and Immigration and other departments
2. Increase presence of Canada’s diplomatic and immigration officials in the region to accelerate processing of refugees.
3. Work with Turkey and other affected countries to remove bureaucratic obstacles to resettlement and end Canada’s policy of discrimination, to treat all refugees equally.
4. Fast-track private sponsorship, with no cap, to bring as many people as possible to Canada.
5. Increase Canada’s contributions to humanitarian assistance agencies, including the UNHCR, based on the needs on the ground and help coordinate the response of the international community to the Syrian refugee crisis.

“We are willing to work across the aisle with the government to take action now. Lives are hanging in the balance, our focus must now be on saving lives,” said Hélène Laverdière, NDP critic for International Development. “Canada must act now.”