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Trudeau government creates committee to fast-track refugee resettlement

The federal government is creating a new committee tasked with fast-tracking the resettlement of 25,000 refugees before the New Year.

But the Liberals still don’t know how they’ll fulfil Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s election promise in that tight time frame.

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Minister John McCallum said Monday “Canadians can and must do more to help Syrian refugees.”

“This is about showing leadership and doing what is right as Canadians.”

But when asked how the government plans to fulfil its promise, McCallum told reporters the government is “working on the logistics of that.”

WATCH: Can the federal Liberals make good on their campaign pledge to bring 25,000 Syrian refugees to Canada by the end of 2015? Chris Friesen of the Canadian Immigrant Settlement Sector Alliance discusses the challenges of making this a reality.

Air Canada said Monday it has offered to help airlift refugees from Beirut to Canada.

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More than 218,000 refugees and migrants made the trek across the Mediterranean sea to Europe in October, the largest monthly total in 2015.

WATCH: Justin Trudeau made an ambitious promise to resettle 25,000 Syrian refugees by the end of the year. Vassy Kapelos looks at whether it’s realistic.

-With files from The Canadian Press

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