OTTAWA – Hundreds of Syrians are expected to arrive in Canada by Saturday as the long-awaited, first flights under the Liberal plan to resettle thousands of refugees from the war-torn region finally touch down.
The first aircraft is scheduled to land Thursday evening in Toronto, with a second flight arriving Saturday in Montreal, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced Wednesday.
READ MORE: First flight of Syrian refugees now headed to Toronto from Beirut
Here are five things to know about what will happen:
They won’t go through the regular arrival terminals
The Canada Border Services Agency has set up temporary ports of entry at both Toronto Pearson International Airport and Montreal-Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport. The agency says that will allow for the processing of all passengers on a flight within three to four hours and provide a waiting room where water and food will be provided as well as a baggage-screening area. The temporary ports are to remain operational until the end of February.
WATCH: First privately sponsored Syrian refugees arrive in Toronto
There will be a lot of paperwork
Border services officers will confirm the newcomers’ identities using the documents each Syrian received overseas. Immigration officials will photograph them for their Canadian documents. Public health officials will check for signs of illness that might require quarantine. Border agents will also hand each person a certificate for access to health care through the Interim Federal Health program, which covers medical costs until provincial health programs kick in. Food inspection agents will also look for any food, plants, animals or animal products that could be a threat to what the government calls “Canada’s biosecurity.”
After that, there will be an official welcome
At the airport, individuals who pass the checks will become permanent residents of Canada. All will then continue on to a welcome centre. In Toronto, that will be at the airport. In Montreal, it will require a short bus ride.
READ MORE: Ontario sponsors cheer arrival of Syrian refugee families at Toronto airport
The facilities include food, water, a play area for children and prayer rooms. People will receive winter clothing and get a Social Insurance Number. They’ll then be taken to a local hotel for an overnight stay and a meal before beginning the next step.
Privately sponsored refugees will move on first
After their first night, those sponsored by private groups will continue to their destination community. Sponsors in Toronto and Montreal will get information from the government about when and where to meet their new charges.
Others may take a while
The Immigration Department says government-assisted refugees will be transported to their destination communities over time. If those communities aren’t ready for them, Syrians will be accommodated in what are being called “interim lodging sites.”
Six sites have been identified at Canadian Forces Bases Kingston, Valcartier, Meaford, Petawawa, Trenton and Borden.
Kingston and Valcartier will be used first, because they have suitable accommodations and are closest to urban centres and airports, the department says. The centres will be run by the Red Cross, Defence and Immigration Departments and the Public Health Agency of Canada.
SOURCES: Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, Canada Border Services Agency.
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