Canada is resettling more than 600 people at risk of being sold as slaves in Libyan human trafficking markets.
Global News has confirmed a report by the New York Times on Wednesday morning that Canada has already taken in 150 people deemed refugees by the UNHCR following a bombshell CNN report that exposed the slave trade in Libya in 2017.
READ MORE: Video appearing to show slave auction in Libya prompts talk of sanctions
At least another 450 of them will arrive in Canada over the next two years.
Most of the people being resettled are migrants who were captured while trying to transit through Libya en route to Europe, a government official said.
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“In 2017, the world was shocked to see the harrowing images of people being sold into slavery in Libya. In response to the situation, Canada was one of the few countries to step up to work with the UNHCR to resettle these refugees directly from Libya and offer them a new home in Canada,” said Immigration Minister Ahmed Hussen.
“To date, we have resettled more than 150 people and over the next two years we anticipate more than 600 people will come to Canada under our regular refugee resettlement program. We are also taking action to resettle 100 refugees from Niger, rescued from Libyan migrant detention centres, including victims of human smuggling. Some people have already begun to arrive in Canada and processing for remaining individuals is underway.”
A government official said Canada did not announce the 150 who arrived last year prior to now because the resettlement was not done under a special program akin to what was done for Syrian and Yazidi refugees.
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