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The Hon. John McCallum
Minister of Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship
House of Commons
Ottawa, ON K1A 0A6
E-mail: john.mccallum@parl.gc.ca
Dear Minister McCallum:
I write to express my gratitude for the federal government’s efforts to resettle Syrian refugees in Canada. Welcoming these refugees into our communities has made me proud to be a Canadian.
I applaud your announcement on April 7 that additional staff will be sent back to Canadian visa offices in the Middle East to enable faster processing of the thousands of privately sponsored Syrian refugees who are still waiting for their applications to be approved.
I am writing to urge that your office do everything possible to resettle these privately sponsored refugees in Canada as soon as possible. Like many community groups across Canada, the Bow Valley Syria Project has gathered all of the resources needed to support a Syrian family. We have a fully-furnished home (rented since January), more than sufficient donated funds to support a family for a year, and over 180 volunteers waiting to welcome them to the Bow Valley.
Syrian refugees continue to face very challenging conditions in the Middle East, while here in Canada community groups are ready and willing to extend a helping hand.
Canada has been a leader in this area – and we should continue to lead by example, building upon the generosity of Canadians and facilitating the arrival of these privately sponsored refugees as quickly as possible.
Sincerely,
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