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Ontario provides $1.55M in additional funding to refugee settlement, support

Syrian refugees Jamil Haddad, left, and Tony Batekh, 2nd left, George Louka and Edmon Artin, right, have some fun while they attend French classes at a school Wednesday, February 17, 2016 in Montreal.
Syrian refugees Jamil Haddad, left, and Tony Batekh, 2nd left, George Louka and Edmon Artin, right, have some fun while they attend French classes at a school Wednesday, February 17, 2016 in Montreal. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Ryan Remiorz

TORONTO – Ontario is putting another $1.55 million toward refugee supports, including settlement services, mental health care and programming for students.

More than 12,000 Syrian refugees have settled in Ontario since November 2015.

The government says it expects to receive more than 20,000 refugees from all over the world this year.

READ MORE: Refugee crisis: What can you do to help?

The latest funding is in addition to $8.5 million over 2 1/2 years for resettlement and related supports that the province announced last year, and $2 million for immediate overseas relief.

Today, the government doled out $3.8 million in funding – the new $1.55 million plus the last allotment of the previously announced $8.5 million – mostly to 26 settlement agencies across the province.

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The money is also going toward training settlement workers to identify mental-health concerns, support for student mental health and summer programming for refugee students.

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