EDMONTON – Other cities across Canada may have asked for a pause in the flow of refugees, but coordinators in Edmonton say they do not expect to do likewise.
Jason Gariepy, communications manager of Catholic Social Services, which has handled resettling services for refugees, said it has been able to accommodate Syrian refugees so far.
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“We have been able to move the overwhelming majority of our refugees into permanent housing,” he said.
“There have been no major obstacles to settlement, with the exception of the flu.”
Earlier this year, Global News reported on a letter, which was written by a director at the East Edmonton Health Centre, saying refugees arriving in Edmonton were more acutely ill upon arrival than what the centre was expecting. The letter was triggered by the flu and the fact that the refugees arrived in the city during the peak of the flu season.
Gariepy said the city would not be expecting or requesting any pause in services.
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On March 16, the city of Moncton asked for a pause in resettling new Syrian refugees. In January, Toronto, Vancouver and Ottawa requested a pause in refugee flow while Halifax asked the federal government to slow down the number of refugees headed there.
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Gariepy adds that 960 refugees have settled in the Capital Region and 860 have been placed into permanent homes.