At a Round Table meeting in Surrey on December 2nd, attended by The Honourable John McCallum, MP and Minister of IRCC, and Shirley Bond, MLA and Minister Responsible for Labour, the B.C. Government announced a number of steps it is taking to prepare for the arrival, resettlement and integration of refugees in B.C.Also in attendance were a number of faith groups – including representatives from the Sikh Community, the BC Muslim Association, and the Syrian Community Council of BC. Eyob Naizghi attended, as did other stakeholders from the settlement sector.The province will be funding five Refugee Response Teams to “proactively plan for the settlement of refugees in their communities. The teams will have representatives from the refugee service provider community: settlement organizations, private sponsors, churches, educators, health care providers and employers. Teams are anticipated in the Lower Mainland, Fraser Valley, Vancouver Island, Okanagan and Cariboo, however, locations are contingent on where refugees ultimately settle.” The selection of the teams that will be funded will be determined through an RFP process.Immigration Minister McCallum acknowledged the support to the national project from the public, community organizations and the private sector. He said that a priority is housing support from the private sector, and another priority is communication to the public about the positives, as well as the challenges to be faced.To read the full news release about the B.C. Government Funding of the Syrian refugee resettlement, click on https://news.gov.bc.ca/releases/2015JTST0182-002011
