Refugee plan cost pegged at $1.2B

Document shows estimate over six years; flights could begin Dec. 1

The cost of the Liberal government’s plan to resettle 25,000 Syrian refugees has been pegged at $1.2 billion over the next six years, The Canadian Press has learned.

A government document obtained by The Canadian Press that lays out the proposed funding model says $876.7 million would be needed in 2015-2016 alone.

Some of that will be covered this year by $16.6 million announced by the previous Conservative government during the election and $100 million coming out of an existing pool of funds to respond to international crises.

The document, called “Responding to the Syrian Refugee Crisis: Rapid Resettlement of 25,000 Syrians Funding Table,” says $1.1 billion in new money will be required between now and 2021.

The document says six government departments will require funds to handle the program, including Immigration, which would need $528.4 million this year and Defence, which requires $98.7 million.

What’s not clear from the funding model is how much of the money is connected to the year-end target to bring in that many Syrians in total and how much to the Liberal promise that the government itself would settle that many over a longer time period. The Immigration department would not provide any detail.

“We don’t comment on leaked documents,” a spokesman for the department told The Canadian Press in an e-mail.

“Once final decisions are made, the Government of Canada will provide more details.”

The federal government has yet to formally reveal the specifics of the plan to meet the Dec. 31 target of resettling 25,000 people, a commitment made during the election campaign.

The Liberal platform only earmarked $100 million for refugee resettlement this year, in addition to $100 million for the United Nations refugee agency, which is coordinating global resettlement efforts.

The six departments slated to receive funds are Immigration, Defence, Public Health, Shared Services Canada, Global Affairs Canada and the Canada Border Services Agency.

CBSA is the only one which will receive money over the full six years, $48.8 million overall.

Security screening for refugees is one of the sticking points of the plan and gained new urgency following attacks in Paris last week that were linked to extremists who may have entered Europe as a refugees.

Details of the plan are laid out in a strategic plan document obtained by Postmedia. In it, 5,0006,000 refugees would be airlifted from Amman, Jordan, every week, from Dec. 1-31. The plan suggests 900 passengers a day would arrive on three flights to Montreal and Toronto.

According to the planning document, Canada’s Border Services Agency will screen refugees for admission overseas, after they have been identified by the UN High Commission for Refugees. The preflight security screening and risk assessment will continue right up to boarding, culminating in CBSA issuing a “board/no board” decision for each applicant.

Once the newcomers have arrived in Canada, Immigration Canada staff will complete the processing. During that time, refugees will be housed in temporary lodgings in Ontario and Quebec, within four or five hours of Toronto and Montreal, most likely on military bases.

Cornwall was expected to be among the sites to house the newcomers after they’ve landed, according to a CTV News report.

National Defence is “currently planning on providing interim lodging at bases in Quebec and Ontario as a priority,” spokesman Dan Le Bouthillier confirmed in an email.

The Canadian government posted a request Thursday looking to lease “leasing and management of temporary winterized lodgings.”

“The Government of Canada is seeking interested companies that have the capacity, capability and availability to provide leasing, management and servicing of temporary winterized lodgings for groups of 500-3000 people by early December 2015 at sites to be confirmed,” said the posting.

“Lodging and services may be required for up to 3 months,” it noted.

At the same time, organizations from municipalities to school boards are gearing up to absorb the rapid influx of people.

“We’re taking the necessary steps to ensure we’re getting ready for the Syrian refugees,” said Annie Trépanier, a spokeswoman from the office of Judy Foote, minister of Public Services and Procurement.

Ontario, which has said it will take 10,000 refugees, is looking at using decommissioned hospitals. School boards are also getting ready for an influx of students, and health officials are pinpointing clinics that can serve as go-to points for refugees.

Among the bases preparing for an influx of refugees is CFB Trenton.

Commanding Officer Col. Colin Keiver said Thursday that the base is preparing for the arrival of as many as 950 refugees.

“We’ve been told to expect an announcement this weekend. In the meantime we keep preparing,” said Keiver.