OTTAWA — The New Democrats and Liberals say Canada needs to do more to help alleviate the Syrian refugee crisis.
NDP foreign affairs critic Paul Dewar says the NDP will reach out to the Conservative government to ask it to adopt an “accelerated plan” to bring more than 46,000 government-sponsored refugees to Canada by 2019, including 10,000 by the end of 2015.
The NDP plan would involve appointing a Syrian refugee co-ordinator as soon as possible to organize government and departmental resources to facilitate entry and settlement of refugees.
The Liberals, meanwhile, say a Liberal government would expand Canada’s intake to 25,000 refugees from Syria through immediate, direct sponsorship by the federal government.
Liberal foreign affairs critic Marc Garneau also says a Liberal government would invest at least an additional $100 million this fiscal year to increase refugee processing, sponsorship and settlement services in Canada.