The immigration minister of Canada, Sean Fraser, has announced different measures to help Turkish and Syrian temporary residents in Canada.
What’s important to note here is that the announcement of new measures is to deal with the earthquake that took place in Turkey and Syria in February.
Let’s discuss the measures that will be implemented from 29 March to 25 September.
For starters, priority processing will be available for people affected by the earthquake who are applying for immigration.
Secondly, Turkish and Syrian nationals currently living in Canada will receive cost-free extensions to stay in the country temporarily.
Moreover, Turkish and Syrian residents currently in Canada will get Open Work Permits with a validity of three years.
Plus, Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) will streamline the process of granting another temporary visa to temporary residents in Canada.
In addition to this, foreign nationals seeking Canadian permanent residency will no longer have to fulfill passport and travel document requirements.
Furthermore, IRCC will also waive charges for passports with limited validity, temporary passports, emergency travel documents, and Canadian citizenship certificates. Fees will also be waived for permanent resident travel documents for Canadian citizens and permanent residents from Syria and Turkey interested in coming back to Canada.
According to IRCC, more information regarding these policies will soon be available on its official website.
Canada’s Humanitarian Support For Turkey And Syria After The Earthquakes
Reports suggest over 50,000 people lost their lives, and many others lost their homes due to the earthquakes that occurred in Turkey and Syria on 6 February.
Consequently, Canada gave $50 million as humanitarian aid to both countries.
How Many Syrian And Turkish People Are There In Canada?
In case you don’t know, in November 2015, Canada started a major Syrian refugee program.
By February 2016, Canada granted entry to more than 25,000 Syrian refugees within 100 days of launching the program.
According to the 2021 Census, 60,795 Syrian refugees entered Canada between 2016 and 2021, making up over 27.8% of Canada’s new refugees.
Another interesting thing to note here is that Syria is among the top ten countries from where immigrants come to Canada. Did you know 8,500 Syrians obtained permanent residency in Canada in 2022? The 2021 Census indicated 97,590 individuals claimed Syria as their country of birth.
Moreover, the 2021 Census reported that 35,270 people claimed Turkey as their country of birth, out of which 10,150 individuals were among recent immigrants who arrived in Canada between 2016 and 2021.
According to Statistics Canada, 76,740 people in Canada are from Turkey.
Reports from IRCC also confirmed that 8,765 study permits were issued to Turkish students between 2020 and 2022.
We hope you found this information helpful. Follow our blogs for the latest updates and informative content on Canadian immigration.
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