Justin Trudeau tells UN Canada not done helping Syrian refugees

NEW YORK – Justin Trudeau is telling a UN conference that it’s not enough to applaud what Canada has done to help Syrian refugees – because there’s much more left to do.

The prime minister says all countries should be looking at additional ways to help solve a historic crisis fuelled by Syria’s civil war.

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Trudeau made the remarks today while announcing Canada would spend an additional $64.5 million over the next several years to support people affected by humanitarian crises around the world.

He was presiding over a meeting on the subject alongside Queen Rania of Jordan, who says millions of refugees around the world are asking the same question: “Will we be able to go home?”

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She says the goodwill exhibited by countries right now is no match for the task.

Trudeau says that as a former teacher, he’s especially concerned about how to help displaced people get education.

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Trudeau is in the midst of a two-day visit to the United Nations, where he will address the UN General Assembly on Tuesday.

The audience broke into applause today when he mentioned that Canada has taken in almost 31,000 Syrian refugees since last year.

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“While that is a great story, I don’t want to lose sight of the fact that Canada’s engagement must not stop at resettlement,” Trudeau said.

“Now is the time for each of us to consider what more we can contribute. So, in Canada, we’re looking at our options.”